Abstract: A heat-source-side space and two heat-use-side spaces are formed in a casing. A heat-source-side heat exchanger is contained in the heat-source-side space, and heat-use-side heat exchangers are individually contained in the heat-use-side spaces. The casing is formed with a plurality of suction ports for room air and a plurality of delivery ports for conditioned air. The suction ports and the delivery ports are individually connected to ducts communicating with rooms. The heat-source-side heat exchanger and the plurality of heat-use-side heat exchangers constitute refrigerant circuitry.

Abstract: An oriented polycrystal silicon film or an amorphous silicon film 52 is disposed on the whole area beneath a conductive diffusion barrier 61 under a lower electrode of a ferroelectric capacitor. As a result, the conductive diffusion barrier, the lower electrode and the capacitor ferroelectric film become oriented films; therefore, it is possible to reduce the signal variation in capacitors even in minute semiconductor devices, and obtain a highly reliable semiconductor device.

Abstract: A semiconductor device having a bottom electrode, a ferroelectric film, and a top electrode formed on a semiconductor substrate, wherein the angle of each of the main cross sectional sides of the ferroelectric film relative to the main surface of the semiconductor substrate is less than 75 degrees. Forming the ferroelectric film into the trapezoid in cross section having such an angle provides a microscopic capacitor without electrical short-circuit between the top and bottom electrodes if the top electrode, the ferroelectric film, and the bottom electrode are etched with single photolithography process step. The novel technique implements a microscopic memory cell structure suitable for highly integrated memory devices.

Abstract: An ac/dc converting circuit adapted to output a direct voltage that is higher than a full wave rectified voltage of an alternating input voltage is provided which includes an alternating current filter, and a condenser with a positive electrode and a negative electrode coupled to a dc output side of a full wave rectifying circuit. The full wave rectifying circuit includes a switching portion having upper and lower arms each having a semiconductor rectifying element and a self-commutated semiconductor switching element, and a rectifying portion having upper and lower arms each having a semiconductor rectifying element. The semiconductor rectifying elements in the upper arms of the full wave rectifying circuit has a common cathode coupled to the positive electrode, and the semiconductor rectifying elements in the lower arms has a common anode coupled to the negative electrode.

Abstract: A process for producing calcium D-pantothenate, which comprises bringing a solution containing D-pantothenic acid directly produced by microbial fermentation into contact with activated carbon to adsorb the D-pantothenic acid to the activated carbon, eluting the D-pantothenic acid with a hydrophilic organic solvent, neutralizing the eluate with an alkali agent containing calcium to precipitate calcium D-pantothenate, and collecting the calcium D-pantothenate.

Abstract: An ac/dc converting circuit adapted to output a direct voltage that is higher than a full wave rectified voltage of an alternating input voltage is provided which includes an alternating current filter, and a condenser with a positive electrode and a negative electrode coupled to a dc output side of a full wave rectifying circuit. The full wave rectifying circuit includes a switching portion having upper and lower arms each having a semiconductor rectifying element and a self-commutated semiconductor switching element, and a rectifying portion having upper and lower arms each having a semiconductor rectifying element. The semiconductor rectifying elements in the upper arms of the full wave rectifying circuit has a common cathode coupled to the positive electrode, and the semiconductor rectifying elements in the lower arms has a common anode coupled to the negative electrode.

Abstract: A positioning control system is used to control the stoppage of a conveyed article stably and with good repeatability with a magnetic conveyor system element on the receiving side when a conveyed article is passed between magnetic conveyor device elements in a noncontacting magnetic conveyor system configured from at least two magnetic conveyor system elements. The system comprises two independently operating magnetic conveyor system elements, and is provided with drive shafts 18A-18C, each of which has helical magnetic poles at its surface, and a guide path 14 along which a carrier 13 travels, and the carrier is equipped with magnetic poles of equal pitch to the pitch of the helical magnetic poles. When the rotary shafts rotate, the carrier moves over the guide path by a magnetic coupling action and is passed between the magnetic conveyor system elements.

Abstract: With recent decreases in the size of semiconductor memories, isolation problems typically arise during fabrication of a capacitor for a high-capacity semiconductor memory device. To overcome this, arrangements are provided to improve the isolation between capacitor elements even if those elements are extremely close together. For example, if a material such as platinum is used as a capacitor bottom electrode, a thin layer of titanium oxide can be deposited before forming the platinum, to provide a structure in which the titanium oxide is on the bottom portion of the trench. A high-dielectric-constant insulator is then formed over that structure by the Chemical Vapor Deposition. The high-dielectric-constant insulator has a composition which satisfies the stoichiometric composition over the platinum and which has more titanium atoms than those of the stoichiometric composition on the trench bottom.

Abstract: A method of producing D-pantothenic acid or a salt thereof characterized by bring a microbe belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae having resistance to salicylic acid and capable of producing D-pantothenic acid in the presence of .beta.-alanine in contact with .beta.-alanine, preferably wherein a microbe resistant to .alpha.-ketoisovaleric acid and/or .alpha.-ketobutyric acid, and/or .alpha.-aminobutyric acid and/or .beta.-hydroxy-aspartic acid and/or O-methyl-threonine or a microbe transformed with a plasmid DNA carrying the region of a gene involved in biosynthesis of pantothenic acid or a salt thereof or a part thereof, is used, and a method of producing D-pantoic acid or a salt thereof characterized by culturing a microbe resistant to salicylic acid, .alpha.-ketoisovaleric acid and/or .alpha.-ketobutyric acid and/or .alpha.-aminobutyric acid and/or .beta.

Abstract: With recent decreases in the size of semiconductor memories, isolation problems typically arise during fabrication of a capacitor for a high-capacity semiconductor memory device. To overcome this, arrangements are provided to improve the isolation between capacitor elements even if those elements are extremely close together. For example, if a material such as platinum is used as a capacitor bottom electrode, a thin layer of titanium oxide can be deposited before forming the platinum, to provide a structure in which the titanium oxide is on the bottom portion of the trench. A high-dielectric-constant insulator is then formed over that structure by the Chemical Vapor Deposition. The high-dielectric-constant insulator has a composition which satisfies the stoichiometric composition over the platinum and which has more titanium atoms than those of the stoichiometric composition on the trench bottom.

Abstract: A microminiature, large capacitor for a semiconductor memory is formed from a raw material compound of plural different kinds of metal atoms for deposition, irrespective of the material, temperature and surface condition of a substrate, thereby forming a thin dielectric film having uniform characteristics not affected by the interface even though the film is made as thin as approximately 0.1 .mu.m. The microminiature large capacitance capacitor has a capacitance unaffected by an oxide existing at the interface between a ferroelectric and electrodes without using precious metals such as platinum having the least degree of freedom in deposition of thin films and microminiature processing. The ferroelectric thin film is deposited using an organic metal comprising a plurality of kinds of metal elements in conformity with the composition of a desired dielectric. As electrodes for use in forming a capacitor, a substance exhibiting conductivity after oxidation is preferably employed.

Abstract: The sleep-apnea syndrome is classified into a so-called central type caused by an abnormality in the respiratory center, an obstructive type by an upper airway obstruction, and a mixed type by a combination thereof. Among the rest, the obstructive type is often observed clinically and is considered to be caused by a morphological abnormality in the upper airway tract, such as tonsillar hypertrophy or micrognathia, or by a tonus of the upper airway muscle for broadening the airway. The inventors of this application have clarified by experiments that the upper airway can be recovered from obstruction which causes apnea stimulating the genioglossus, which is one of the dilator muscles of the upper airway, with pulses of a frequency of 40 to 150 Hz, a peak value of 1 to 50 volts and a rise-up time constant of 0.

Abstract: A drive circuit for a voltage driven type semiconductor device having a serial circuit of a resistor and a Zener diode. One terminal of the serial circuit is connected to an output terminal (collector) of the semiconductor device. An overcurrent flowing in the semiconductor device is detected based on a current flowing through the serial circuit and the presence or absence of a drive signal fed to the drive circuit from an external control circuit. The detection level of the overcurrent can be adjusted by the voltage of the Zener diode, and the quick detection becomes possible. This arrangement makes it possible to detect an overcurrent in the semiconductor device, and hence to detect a shortcircuit in a circuit connected to that device in a minimal time required, thereby reducing the energy consumed in the semiconductor device during the short circuit.

Abstract: A drive circuit for a current sense IGBT having, in addition to a fault discrimination operational circuit for detecting an overcurrent of the current sense IGBT, a capacitor operatively connected in parallel to the gate-emitter of the current sense IGBT, and a transistor for discharging the capacitor via a resistor. In case of short-circuit fault, an overcurrent is detected by the fault discrimination operational circuit, and the transistor is turned on via the operational circuit. The gate voltage of the IGBT is gradually declined to turn off the IGBT. This enables the IGBT to be protected from a transitional overvoltage across the collector and emitter of the IGBT.

Abstract: The sleep-apnea syndrome is classified into a so-called central type caused by an abnormality in the respiratory center, an obstructive type by an upper airway obstruction, and a mixed type by a combination thereof. Among the rest, the obstructive type is often observed clinically and is considered to be caused by a morphological abnormality in the upper airway tract, such as tonsillar hypertrophy or micrognathia, or by a tonus of the upper airway muscle for broadening the airway. The inventors of this application have clarified by experiments that the upper airway can be recovered from obstruction which causes apnea stimulating the genioglossus, which is one of the dilator muscles of the upper airway, with pulses of a frequency of 40 to 150 Hz, a peak value of 1 to 50 volts and a rise-up time constant of 0.

Abstract: A snubber network of high energy efficiency for use with power conversion semiconductors is described. Asymmetrical semiconductor elements are used to reduce and dissipate voltage spikes induced by stray inductance during turn-off of power semiconductors. A space efficient assembly using the described snubber network containing asymmetrical semiconductor elements and an external snubber capacitor is also described.

Abstract: Provided is an enhanced switching speed photo-coupler circuit for providing an output signal in response to an isolated input signal. The photocoupler is comprised of a phototransistor which operates in the active region in response to an applied input signal. A switching transistor connected to the output of the phototransistor is turned on when the phototransistor enters the active region. An output signal, measured from the collector of the switching transistor, will change only slightly in comparison with the off state. In one embodiment, a power semiconductor is coupled to the circuit output for enhanced switching speed.

Abstract: Novel compounds, D-glucosaccharoascorbic acid and a salt thereof, are disclosed. The compounds, which are prepared by treating 2-keto-D-glucaric acid or an 2,3-O-acetal or ketal thereof with an acid, show excellent antioxidant activities. The agent containing the D-glucosaccharoascorbic acid or a salt thereof prevents effectively deterioration of foodstuffs.

Abstract: In a common drive output circuit for driving dissimilar switching semiconductor devices having different drive input characteristics by turning on and off dc power supplies to apply a voltage between the drive input terminals of either one of the switching semiconductor devices through two transistors connected in a Darlington pair, the collector circuit of one of the two transistors which is not at the output stage has a diode inserted in series which has such a polarity as to permit passage of the collector current.