Author: claimsbot

1. A method of enhancing death receptor-induced apoptosis in a MUC1 expressing cell comprising contacting said MUC1 expressing cell with an effective amount of a MUC1 antagonist.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein said MUC1 expressing cell is a MUC1 expressing cancer cell.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein said death receptor-induced apoptosis is Fas-induced apoptosis.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said death receptor-induced apoptosis is a TRAIL receptor-induced apoptosis.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said MUC1 antagonist is an antisense polynucleotide or a siRNA polynucleotide.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein said MUC1 antagonist is a MUC1 ligand trap molecule.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said MUC1 antagonist inhibits the binding of MUC1 to a PDZ domain.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said MUC1 expressing cell is within a patient in need of treatment comprising induction of death receptor-induced apoptosis cell death of said MUC1 expressing cell.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A method of compacting an endoprosthesis into a compacted dimension comprising
providing a self-expanding endoprosthesis comprising a stent-element;
providing at least one internally tapered die proportioned to compact the endoprosthesis, the tapered die including multiple raised flutes and grooves therein to define a tapered surface;
passing the endoprosthesis through the tapered die to reduce its dimensions, the raised flutes and grooves causing the endoprosthesis to fold into uniform pleats in its compacted dimension.
2. The method of claim 1 that further comprises
passing the endoprosthesis through the tapered die at least one additional time.
3. The method of claim 2 that further comprises allowing the endoprosthesis to expand before passing it through the at least one tapered die at least one additional time.
4. The method of claim 1 that further comprises
subsequently passing the endoprosthesis through a second taper die having a smaller diameter.
5. The method of claim 1 that further comprises passing the endoprosthesis through a tapered die having a larger diameter prior to compacting in the at least one tapered die.
6. The method of claim 1 that further comprises
providing the stent-element with forward facing apices and rearward facing apices;
providing a tether line attached to or aligned with one or more of the apices;
pulling the endoprosthesis through the at least one tapered die using the tether line.
7. The method of claim 6 that further comprises
providing an actuation mechanism;
attaching the tether line to the actuation mechanism to pull the endoprosthesis through the at least one tapered die.
8. The method of claim 6 that further comprises
providing multiple tether lines;
aligning the tether lines with only forward facing apices so that when the tether lines are pulled through the grooves only the forward facing apices are visible on the outside of the compressed endoprosthesis.
9. The method of claim 1 that further comprises
positioning the flutes evenly around the tapered die so as to produce a uniform spacing of pleats around the compressed endoprosthesis.
10. The method of claim 9 that further comprises
providing a uniform spacing of grooves within the at least one endoprosthesis;
providing a tether line to correspond with each groove; and
passing the endoprosthesis through the tapered die using the tether lines.
11. The method of claim 1 that further comprises cooling the endoprosthesis prior to passing through the tapered die.

1-26. (Canceled)
27. A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising:
(a) an insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate;
(b) a contact hole formed in said insulating film;
(c) a first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole;
(d) a second sputter film formed over said first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole; and
(e) an electroconductive film filled inside of said contact hole; wherein
(f) said second sputter film has higher directivity than said first sputter film.
28. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 27, wherein said second sputter film is formed by long throw sputtering.
29. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 27, wherein said second sputter film is formed by sputtering using a collimator.
30. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 27, wherein said second sputter film is formed by ionized sputtering.
31. A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising:
(a) a metallization formed over a semiconductor substrate;
(b) an insulating film formed over said metallization;
(c) a contact hole formed in said insulating film;
(d) a first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole;
(e) a second sputter film formed over said first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole; and
(f) an electroconductive film filled inside of said contact hole; wherein
(g) said second sputter film has higher directivity than said first sputter film.
32. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 31, wherein said metallization is an aluminum metallization and said third electroconductive film is a tungsten film.
33. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 32, wherein said second sputter film is a film formed by any one of long throw sputtering, sputtering using a collimator and ionized sputtering.
34. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 31, wherein said third electroconductive film is a copper film.
35. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 34, wherein said second sputter film is a film formed by any one of long throw sputtering, sputtering using a collimator and ionized sputtering.
36. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 31, wherein said first metallization is an aluminum metallization and said third electroconductive film is a copper film.
37. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 36, wherein said second sputter film is a film formed by any one of long throw sputtering, sputtering using a collimator and ionized sputtering.
38. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 31, wherein said first and second electroconductive films is a high-melting-point metal film or a film made of a high-melting-point metal compound.
39. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 31, wherein said first electroconductive film is a high-melting-point metal film.
40. A semiconductor integrated circuit device according to claim 31, wherein said first and second electroconductive films are each made of Ti, TiN, W, Ta, TaN, TaSiN, TiSiN, TiW or WN.
41. A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising:
(a) an insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate;
(b) a contact hole formed in said insulating film;
(c) a first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole by long throw sputtering;
(d) a second sputter film which is formed over said first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole and has a directivity lower than said first sputter film; and
(e) an electroconductive film filled inside of said contact hole.
42. A semiconductor integrated circuit device, comprising:
(a) an insulating film formed over a semiconductor substrate;
(b) a contact hole formed in said insulating film;
(c) a first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole by ionized sputtering;
(d) a second sputter film which is formed over said first sputter film formed over the bottom and side walls of said contact hole and has a directivity lower than said first sputter film; and
(e) an electroconductive film filled inside of said contact hole.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A metalsminerals recovery and waste treatment process comprising a main separation stage in which a metalmineral-bearing ore is slurried with water and separated into an enriched fraction and an aqueous metalmineral waste fraction, and a waste sedimentation stage in which the aqueous metalmineral waste fraction is sedimented in one or more settling lagoons to provide a thickened sediment layer and supernatant; and the waste sedimentation stage comprises feeding the aqueous metalmineral waste into a Solids Contact Vessel or other flocculating chamber, wherein the aqueous metalmineral waste fraction is diluted with water containing a flocculant at more than one concentration, one of which concentrations is at least 10 times higher than the other, within said Solids Contact Vessel or other flocculating chamber, wherein said concentration of flocculant range from 0.05 to 0.0001% by weight, and said flocculant has an intrinsic viscosity of at least 4 dlg, flocculating the diluted aqueous waste, and sedimenting the diluted and flocculated aqueous waste to provide a liquid supernatant layer and a pumpable thickened sediment layer in a settling basin.
2. A process according to claim 1, wherein 25 to 75% of the flocculant is diluted to a concentration of about 0.005% or less by weight and the other 75 to 25% is diluted to a concentration of about 0.05% or less by weight.
3. A process according to claim 2, wherein about 75% of the diluted flocculant is diluted to a concentration of about 0.005% or less by weight and about 25% is diluted to a concentration of about 0.05% or less by weight.
4. A metalsminerals recovery and waste treatment process according to claim 1 in which the flocculant is nonionic, anionic, cationic or amphoteric.
5. A metalsminerals recovery and waste treatment process according to claim 1, which is a ferrous metal, base metal, precious metal, phosphate mining, sand and gravel or coal production process.
6. A process according to claim 1, wherein the diluted aqueous waste flows at a rate within the Solids Contact Vessel of 0.01 to 1 U.S. gallons per minute per square foot of surface area.
7. A process according to claim 1 in which the Solids Contact Vessel has been dug or placed in a primary lagoon which contains substantially solid sediment from the metalmineral recovery process.
8. A process according to claim 7 in which the one or more settling lagoons and the one or more final lagoons are substantially filled with a substantially solid sediment from the metalmineral recovery process.
9. A process according to claim 8 in which in which the two different flocculants are both anionic.
10. A process according to claim 1 in which the supernatant liquid flows over a substantially solid sediment in a primary lagoon before being recycled to the main separation stage.
11. A process according to claim 1 in which the thickened sediment layer has a solids content ranging from 2 to 10 times the solids content of the dilute aqueous metalmineral waste.
12. A process according to claim 1 in which two different flocculants are used.
13. A process according to claim 12 in which the in which two different flocculants are of the same but differ in molecular weight andor charge density.
14. A process according to claim 1 in which the recovery process is a ferrous metals recovery process.
15. A process according to claim 1 in which the recovery process is a metals recovery process.
16. A process according to claim 1 in which the recovery process is a precious metals recovery process.
17. A process according to claim 1 in which the recovery process is an industrial minerals recovery process.
18. A process according to claim 17 in which the mineral is selected from the group consisting of the industrial minerals group comprising chemical and fertilizer minerals; construction materials; clay, ceramic and refractory minerals; and miscellaneous nonmetallic minerals selected from the group consisting of asbestos, asphalt rock, diatomite, feldspar, graphite, gypsum, precious stones and quartz.
19. A process according to claim 1 in which the recovery process is a coal recovery process.
20. A process according to claim 1 in which the recovery process is a phosphatic clay recovery process.