Abstract: The invention relates to an abrasive containing a slurry of the following cerium oxide grains as dispersed in water:

Abstract: To polish polishing target surfaces of SiO2 insulating films or the like at a high rate without scratching the surface, the present invention provides an abrasive comprising a slurry comprising a medium and dispersed therein at least one of i) cerium oxide particles constituted of at least two crystallites and having crystal grain boundaries or having a bulk density of not higher than 6.5 g/cm3 and ii) abrasive grains having pores. Also provided are a method of polishing a target member and a process for producing a semiconductor device which make use of this abrasive.

Abstract: This invention provides a cerium oxide abrasive with which the surfaces of substrates such as SiO2 insulating films can be polished at a high rate without causing scratches. The abrasive of the present invention comprises a slurry comprising cerium oxide particles whose primary particles have a diameter of from 10 nm to 600 nm and a median diameter of from 30 nm to 250 nm and slurry particles have a median diameter of from 150 nm to 600 nm and a maximum diameter of 3,000 nm or smaller, the cerium oxide particles being dispersed in a medium.

Abstract: Compounds represented by the following formula (I) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof and a process for producing the same are disclosed. The compounds have progesterone receptor binding inhibitory activity and, hence, can be used as therapeutic and prophylactic agents for progesterone-related diseases. Specifically, they are useful as carcinostatic agents for breast cancer and ovarian cancer, therapeutic agents for hysteromyoma, endometriosis, meningioma, and myeloma, abortifacients, oral contraceptive pills, and therapeutic and prophylactic agents for osteoporosis and climacteric disturbance. ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents alkyl or aralkyl; R.sup.

Abstract: This invention provides novel physiologically active substances PF1092A, PF1092B and PF1092C, which can inhibit binding of progesterone to progesterone receptor. These substances were obtained by culturing a fungal microorganism belonging to the genus Penicillium using a medium containing ordinary nutrients for microorganisms and isolating the physiologically active substances PF1092A, PF1092B and PF1092C from the resulting culture mixture by means of solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography, and the like. Molecular formulae of the novel physiologically active substances PF1092A, PF1092B and PF1092C are C.sub.17 H.sub.20 O.sub.5, C.sub.17 H.sub.20 O.sub.5 and C.sub.15 H.sub.18 O.sub.4, respectively.

Abstract: A method of growing a rare earth silicate single crystal from a melt of a starting material containing a rare earth oxide and a silicon oxide, wherein the starting material in which a density of Fe as an impurity is not more 0.1 ppm, a density of Al as an impurity is not more than 0.4 ppm, or the starting material showing a weight loss of not more than 1.0% when heated up to 1,000.degree. C. is used.This method which makes it possible to stably obtain a rare earth silicate single crystal having a good scintillator performance, such as free of voids and/or non-colored crystals, or may cause no poor fluorescent characteristics due to a compositional deviation of materials.

Abstract: This invention provides novel physiologically active substances PF1092A, PF1092B and PF1092C, which can inhibit binding of progesterone to progesterone receptor.These substances were obtained by culturing a fungal microorganism belonging to the genus Penicillium using a medium containing ordinary nutrients for microorganisms and isolating the physiologically active substances PF1092A, PF1092B and PF1092C from the resulting culture mixture by means of solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography, and the like. Molecular formulae of the novel physiologically active substances PF1092A, PF1092B and PF1092C are C.sub.17 H.sub.20 O.sub.5, C.sub.17 H.sub.20 O.sub.5 and C.sub.15 H.sub.18 O.sub.4, respectively.

Abstract: A method of growing a crack-free single crystal is disclosed which comprises heating raw materials in a crucible to thereby obtain a melt of the raw materials, contacting a lower end of a seed crystal with the melt and pulling the seed crystal to thereby grow a single crystal, and wherein the melt of the crucible flows from its surface toward its inner part inside the crucible by convection at a position locating outside a region where the growth of the single crystal occurs. This flow control can be achieved by, for example, surrounding the crucible with a heat insulation refractory composed of a pair of semicylindrical refractories disposed so as to provide a circular cross section with differently sized gaps. In the above-mentioned method, the seed crystal may be rotated during a shoulder growth in which the single crystal has its diameter increased from that of the seed crystal to a target diameter at a rotation rate greater than that during a subsequent cylindrical body growth.

Abstract: A method of growing a single crystal of a rare-earth silicate is disclosed which comprises heating raw materials in a crucible to thereby obtain a melt of the raw materials, contacting a lower end of a seed crystal with the melt and pulling the seed crystal to thereby grow a single crystal, and wherein the pulling is conducted along an axis of pulling having a gradient of at least 30.degree. from the b-axis ([010] axis) of the single crystal and a gradient of at least 25.degree. from the c-axis ([001] axis) of the single crystal. The invention also provides a method of machining a single crystal of a rare-earth silicate into a cylindrical form, comprising grinding a cylinder whose axis is directed so as to have a gradient of 0.degree. to 65.degree. from the c-axis ([001] axis) of the single crystal.