All The Claims

1-15. (canceled)
16. A method for treating a starchy food, wherein the starchy food during the method passes through states on the surface which exhibit various value pairs of temperature (T) of the surface and moisture content (U) of the surface, comprising the following steps:
providing a starchy food with an initial moisture content in the range from 20% wb to 35% wb;
temperature equalization of the starchy food, so that a degree of gelatinization of at least 75%;
cooling of at least a part of the temperature-equalized, starchy food to a temperature T, which lies below the temperature Tg mean of the glass transition curve based on the moisture content (U) of the starchy food, for a duration in the range from 1 min to 4 mins;
drying of the cooled starchy food at a temperature T, which lies above the temperature Tg onset of the glass transition curve based on the moisture content (U) of the starchy food.
17. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein during the temperature equalization the starchy food at least for 80% of the duration has the temperature T above the temperature Tg end.
18. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the temperature equalization of the starchy food is effected at least partially at a temperature T between 70 and 120\xb0 C.
19. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein during the drying, the cooled starchy food at least for 80% of the duration has the temperature T above the temperature Tg onset.
20. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the drying of the cooled starchy food takes place at a temperature T of at most 80\xb0 C. above the temperature Tg onset of the glass transition curve based on the moisture content (U) of the starchy food.
21. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the temperature-equalized starchy food is flaked andor sieved before the cooling.
22. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the step of providing the starchy food includes a conditioning to the desired initial moisture content.
23. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein before providing the starchy food is treated by means of at least one of the following methods or any combinations thereof: cleaning, husking, degerming and milling.
24. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one additive is mixed into the starchy food before the temperature equalization.
25. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein at least one nutrient, one protein, starch or any combinations thereof are mixed into the dried starchy food.
26. The method as claimed in claim 16, wherein the dried starchy food is milled to semolina andor flour.
27. A rapidly cookable starchy food producible by means of a method as claimed in claim 16.
28. A rapidly cookable starchy food, wherein a cooking time of less than 4 mins and wherein a gel stability index greater than 100 g is attained.
29. The rapidly cookable starchy food as claimed in claim 28, with a final viscosity of greater than 3200 cPoise.
30. Use of a rapidly cookable starchy food as claimed in claim 27 for the production of a packed food product.

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 for a customer to participate in a plurality of merchant loyalty programs, comprising:
enrolling in a computerized universal system for administering multiple loyalty programs;
receiving a universal i.d. card;
presenting the universal i.d. card at a plurality of distinct merchants to invoke each respective merchant’s loyalty program; and
presenting a form of payment to each respective merchant separate from the universal i.d. card.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein enrolling includes providing a first amount of information about the customer to the universal system.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first amount of information is e-mail address information.
4. The method of claim 2, further comprising:
providing additional information to the universal system in addition to the first amount of information.
5. The method of claim 4, wherein the additional information includes at least one of name information, mailing address information, phone number information, mailing zip code information, alternative identification information, login credential information, age group information, race information, gender information, marital status information, income level information, education level information, and shopping preferences information.
6. The method of claim 1, further comprising managing an aspect of the customer’s participation with a plurality of merchants’ loyalty programs through a management tool provided by the universal system.
7. The method of claim 6, wherein the management tool is an internet-based management tool.
8. The method of claim 6, wherein the aspect includes at least one of: controlling the information that is made available to the universal system, updating customer information, access information relating to each merchant for which a customer is enrolled in a loyalty program, opt in or out of promotions from merchants, interact with merchants, and specify delivery methods for receiving solicitations from merchants.
9. A method for a merchant to provide loyalty program benefits to a customer, comprising:
sending a lookup request pertaining to the customer to a universal system for administering multiple loyalty programs, the universal system being separate from the merchant;
obtaining a computerized customer record information from the universal system about the customer; and
providing loyalty program benefits to the customer.
10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
receiving a universal i.d. card from the customer, the universal i.d. card being associated with a customer record for the customer in the universal system.
11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:
receiving payment from the customer that is separate from the universal i.d. card.
12. The method of claim 9, further comprising:
storing the customer record information obtained from the universal system in a record maintained by the merchant.
13. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the customer record information includes creating a new record.
14. The method of claim 12, wherein storing the customer record information includes updating an existing record.
15. The method of claim 9, further comprising sending loyalty program reward information to the universal system.
16. A method for administering the loyalty programs of multiple merchants, comprising:
enrolling a plurality of customers in a universal system for administering multiple loyalty programs;
receiving lookup requests from a plurality of distinct merchants, each lookup request relating to a customer’s loyalty program benefits from a merchant; and
providing computerized customer record information in response to each lookup request, the customer record information being used by the merchants for invoking each merchant’s respective loyalty program and providing loyalty program benefits to the customer.
17. The method of claim 16, wherein the enrolling step includes obtaining from each customer a first amount of information about the customer, and adding the first amount of information to a customer record for each customer.
18. The method of claim 17, further comprising:
collecting additional information from the plurality of customers in addition to the first amount of information obtained during the enrolling step.
19. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
providing a management tool for customers to manage their participation with the merchants’ loyalty programs.
20. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
issuing universal i.d. cards to the plurality of customers, each universal i.d. card corresponding with a customer record for a customer.
21. The method of claim 16, further comprising:
associating customer records in the universal system with merchant-specific customer records.
22. A method of providing coupon offers to customers, comprising:
creating a coupon offer;
providing the coupon offer to a universal system for managing multiple merchants’ loyalty accounts;
receiving a redeemed coupon offer from a merchant; and
receiving computerized information from the universal system or the merchant about the customer who redeemed the coupon offer.
23. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving information includes identifying the point of redemption for the coupon offer.
24. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving information includes identifying the customer who redeemed the coupon offer.
25. The method of claim 22, wherein receiving information includes receiving customer identifying information from the universal system.

1. A method for producing electricity, and hydrogen or syngas, using a molten carbonate fuel cell comprising an anode and a cathode, the method comprising:
introducing an anode fuel stream comprising a reformable fuel into the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell, an internal reforming element associated with the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell, or a combination thereof;
introducing a cathode inlet stream comprising CO2 and O2 into the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell;
generating electricity within the molten carbonate fuel cell;
generating an anode exhaust from an anode outlet of the molten carbonate fuel cell;
separating from the anode exhaust a H2-containing stream, a syngas-containing stream, or a combination thereof,
wherein a fuel utilization of the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell is about 50% or less and a CO2 utilization of the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell is at least about 60%.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein a reformable hydrogen content of the reformable fuel introduced into the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell, the internal reforming element associated with the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell, or the combination thereof, is at least about 75% greater than an amount of H2 oxidized in the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell to generate electricity.
3. The method of claim 1, wherein the cathode inlet stream comprises about 20 vol % CO2 or less.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein the fuel utilization of the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell is about 40% or less.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein the CO2 utilization of the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell is at least about 65%.
6. The method of claim 1, wherein the anode fuel stream comprises at least about 10 vol % inert compounds, at least about 10 vol % CO2, or a combination thereof.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein the syngas-containing stream has a molar ratio of H2 to CO from about 3.0:1 to about 1.0:1.
8. The method of claim 7, wherein the syngas-containing stream has a molar ratio of H2 to CO from about 2.5:1 to about 1.5:1, or a combination thereof.
9. The method of claim 1, wherein the anode exhaust has a molar ratio of H2 to CO of about 1.5:1 to about 10:1.
10. The method of claim 9, wherein the anode exhaust has a molar ratio of H2 to CO of at least about 3.0:1.
11. The method of claim 1, wherein less than 10 vol % of H2 produced in the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell in a single pass is directly or indirectly recycled to the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell or the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein less than 10 vol % of the syngas-containing stream is directly or indirectly recycled to the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell or the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein less than 10 vol % of the anode exhaust is directly or indirectly recycled to the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell or the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein no portion of the anode exhaust is directly or indirectly recycled to the anode of the molten carbonate fuel cell, directly or indirectly recycled to the cathode of the molten carbonate fuel cell, or a combination thereof.
15. The method of claim 1, further comprising separating at least one of CO2 and H2O from one or a combination of i) the anode exhaust, ii) the H2-containing stream, and iii) the syngas-containing stream.
16. The method of claim 1, wherein the H2-containing stream contains at least about 90 vol % H2.
17. The method of claim 1, wherein the cathode inlet stream comprises a combustion exhaust stream from a combustion-powered generator.
18. The method of claim 1, wherein the molten carbonate fuel cell is operated at a voltage VA of about 0.67 Volts or less.

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

What is claimed is:

1. A manufacturing process of a thin film transistor comprising the steps of:
forming a control electrode on a substrate;
forming an insulating film, a semiconductor film, and a contact film continuously on said control electrode;
giving a hydrophilic property to a surface of said contact film by nitriding or oxidizing the surface of said contact film after forming said contact film;
forming a semiconductor layer and a contact layer by forming a resist and patterning said semiconductor film and said contact film;
forming a pair of electrodes which form a semiconductor device with said semiconductor layer; and
etching the contact layer using said pair of electrodes as a mask.
2. A manufacturing process of a thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein the nitriding treatment of the surface of the contact film is a treatment by a N2 gas plasma.
3. A manufacturing process of a thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein the nitriding treatment of the surface of the contact film is a treatment by a mixed gas plasma of N2 and He .
4. A manufacturing process of a thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein the nitriding treatment of the surface of the contact film is a treatment by an O2 gas plasma
5. A manufacturing process of a thin film transistor according to claim 1, wherein a thin film formed by the treatment of giving a hydrophilic property to the contact film is removed after forming the semiconductor layer and the contact layer.
6. A liquid crystal display comprising:
an insulating substrate;
a control electrode formed on said insulating substrate;
an insulating film formed on said control electrode;
a semiconductor layer formed on said control electrode through said insulating film;
a contact layer having a thin film nitride or oxide on a surface layer formed on said semiconductor layer;
a pair of electrodes forming a semiconductor device with said semiconductor layer;
a picture element electrode connected electrically to either of said pair of electrodes; and
a counter substrate having a counter electrode, etc. for holding a liquid crystal material between itself and said insulating substrate.