Abstract: There is provided a process for manufacturing a silicon epitaxial wafer capable of manufacturing an epitaxial wafer, which exerts a stable IG capability without being affected by a thermal history of a substrate for epitaxial growth and has the IG capability excellent from an early stage of a device process, and particularly, canceling an IG shortage in an N/N+ epitaxial wafer caused by a problem that oxygen precipitation is hard to proceed in an N+ substrate with a simple and easy way. RTA (rapid heating and rapid cooling heat treatment) is performed at a temperature of 1200° C. to 1350° C. for 1 to 120 seconds on a silicon substrate for epitaxial growth; further heat treatment is performed at a temperature of 900° C. to 1050° C. for 2 to 20 hours on the silicon substrate for epitaxial growth; and thereafter, an epitaxial layer is formed on a surface of the silicon substrate.

Abstract: An ostomy pouch for both one and two-piece ostomy appliances having an integral closure at the bottom of the pouch to allow the pouch to be emptied and resealed without the use of a separate closure. The integral closure has mating male and female parts that are locked together either manually by finger pressure or by a sliding mechanism. The integral closure provides the ostomy appliance with a leakproof, odor-proof seal when in a closed, sealed, and locked position. A slider, when the appliance is closed, can be moved along the integral closure, thereby separating the mated male and female parts to provide an opening through which the stored contents within the ostomy pouch can be emptied. After the stored contents have been emptied, the slider can reseal the pouch by rejoining the male and female parts.

Abstract: A semiconductor integrated circuit that acquires an external signal precisely in a high speed operation. The semiconductor integrated circuit includes an internal circuit for acquiring an external signal in response to an address acquisition signal. A first holding circuit is connected to the internal circuit to hold the external signal for a predetermined period in response to a holding signal and provide the held external signal to the internal circuit. A control circuit is connected to the first holding circuit to generate the holding signal using the address acquisition signal.

Abstract: A local probe measuring device is provided for effecting local measurements of a sample. This device includes first and second local probes for local measurements with respect to a sample or a reference surface. A measurement condition adjustment arrangement is adapted to commonly adjust first and second measurement conditions of the respective first and second local probes with respect to the sample or the reference surface. A detection arrangement is provided that includes first and second detection arrangements associated with the respective first and second local probes and adapted to independently detect first and second measurement data referring to local measurements effected by the respective first and second local probes.

Abstract: The invention relates to a substance which lowers LDL cholesterol levels in serum and which is fat soluble &bgr;-sitostanol fatty acid ester, and to a method for preparing and using the same. The substance can be taken orally as a food additive, food substitute or supplement. A daily consumption of the &bgr;-sitostanol ester in an amount between about 0.2 and about 20 g/day has been shown to reduce the absorption of biliary and endogenic cholesterol.

Abstract: A signal delay circuit (100) is provided for inhibiting an output control signal (/OE), which is externally input, from transferring to an output buffer (6) for a predetermined period after an address changes. While a sense amplifier (1) senses data in the predetermined period after the address changes, the logic level of a signal (OUT) output from the output buffer (6) is inhibited from being inverted. This prevents any malfunction caused by output noise generated during the data sense operation of the sense amplifier (1).

Abstract: A thermoprocessable copolymer of TFE essentially formed by: (a) from 4.5 to 8.5% by weight of perfluoromethylvinylether (PMVE); (b) from 0.3 to 1.6% by weight of a perfluorodioxole of formula:  wherein: Y═F, ORf, Rf wherein Rf is a perfluoroalkyl having from 1 to 5 carbon atoms; X1 and X2, equal to or diferent from each other, are —F or —CF3; (c) TFE, forming the remaining part to 100%.

Abstract: A working vehicle 1 includes front wheels Wf steered by a steering wheel 8, and rear wheels Wr driven through a transmission system T incorporating static hydraulic pressure type continuously variable transmissions. A speed change operating device M for controlling speed change of the transmission system T accelerates or decelerates right and left rear wheels Wr at same rotating speed by operation of a change lever 10, and also generates a difference in rotating speed between the right and left rear wheels Wr by operation of the steering wheel 8. The steering characteristic on the basis of operation of the steering wheel 8 varies depending on the vehicle speed set by the change lever 10, so that an appropriate steering characteristic may be obtained if the vehicle speed is changed.

Abstract: A memory control system has a replacement detection/notification circuit for detecting occurrence of replacement of dirty entry in a cache and informing a memory controller of the detection, and a state control circuit for precharging the currently active page in a main memory when the memory controller is informed of the detection and a preceding access to the main memory attendant upon the replacement of dirty entry is completed. By precharging the active page in the main memory to return to the idle state when the preceding access attendant upon the replacement of dirty entry is completed, the succeeding access can be done only by activating the aimed page probably different from the above page. It is thereby obviated to return the activated page due to the preceding access to the idle state after a page miss occurs in the succeeding access.

Abstract: An ice transporting assembly transports ice and includes a sleeve and a tapered auger. The sleeve defines a frusto-conically shaped channel with an inlet having an inlet diameter and an outlet having an outlet diameter less than the inlet diameter. The tapered auger is mounted for rotation within the sleeve and is sized and adapted for positional agreement with the frusto-conically shaped channel. Ice at the inlet is transported through the frusto-conically shaped channel and out of the outlet by rotating the tapered auger about a rotational axis. Another embodiment of the ice transporting assembly includes a reducing sleeve having an upstream conduit section with an upstream conduit diameter, a downstream conduit section with a downstream conduit diameter less than the upstream conduit diameter and a tapered conduit interposing the upstream conduit section and the downstream conduit section. The tapered conduit defines a tapered channel that receives the tapered auger in positional agreement.

Abstract: A silicon-containing polymer having a tetrafunctional siloxane portion as the basic skeleton, and containing a carboxylic acid group-containing triorganosiloxane portion and a carboxylic acid derivative group-containing triorganosiloxane portion in a specific proportion. It may be advantageously used as a negative non-chemical amplification resist polymer or a positive chemical amplification resist polymer.

Abstract: A content addressable memory device which determines the top priority entry data without assigning priorities to addresses. If ternary data stored in a cell is invalid data, and other cell at the same bit position stores valid data of entry data identical to an entry key, the entry data is determined not to be a candidate of the top priority entry data. The last entry data which has not determined not to be a candidate is determined to be the top priority data. Compared to the conventional technology which relied on the relationship between a memory address and a priority, the performance of memory system is significantly improved.

Abstract: A data conversion device converts a series of digital signals into an analog signal. The device has a current selection circuit that can vary the direction and magnitude of the current it outputs and an integrating circuit that integrates the current supplied from the current selection circuit to output a voltage. The direction of the current is determined in accordance with the digital signals fed in. When the absolute value of the current is great, the value by which the absolute value of the current is increased is decreased, and the value by which the absolute value of the current is decreased is increased.

Abstract: In the production of an IT-CCD including many photoelectric converters in columns and rows, vertical transfer CCDs for transferring signal charge accumulated in the photoelectric converters to a horizontal transfer CCD, and readout gate regions to control, for each photoelectric converter, readout operation of signal charge from the photoelectric converters to the vertical charge transfer CCDs; one joining channel is formed for each set of two vertical transfer CCDs to combine the CCDs with each other and hence a high-pixel-density solid-state image pickup device can be implemented using ordinary fine patterning technique.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory operates in a write mode and a read mode. The memory includes memory cells, pairs of bit lines connected to the memory cells, sense amplifiers having first and second I/O terminals connected to the bit lines, column selection gates connected to the associated sense amplifiers, and a control circuit. The control circuit controls the sense amplifiers and the column selection gate, so that selected column selection gate turns on before the sense amplifiers are activated during the write mode. The write data is applied to the first I/O terminals of the sense amplifiers. The semiconductor memory thus produced according to the present invention has a reduced circuit size.

Abstract: This invention provides a semiconductor memory device with a shift redundancy circuit which has a shortened redundancy operation. The semiconductor memory device of the present invention includes a plurality of shift switches and a changeover signal generating circuit connected to the shift switches. The changeover signal generating circuit may have a plurality of signal generating blocks including a first signal generating block for generating a first group of changeover signals and a second signal generating block for generating a second group of changeover signals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a pharmacokinetic-based design and selection tool (PK tool) and methods for predicting absorption of an administered compound of interest. The methods utilize the tool, and optionally a separately operable component or subsystem thereof. The PK tool includes as computer-readable components: (1) input/output system; (2) physiologic-based simulation model of one or more segments of a mammalian system of interest having one or more physiological barriers to absorption that is based on the selected route of administration; and (3) simulation engine having a differential equation solver: The invention also provides methods for optimizing as well as enabling minimal input requirements a physiologic-based simulation model for predicting in vivo absorption, and optionally one or more additional properties, from either in vitro or in vivo data.

Abstract: Positioning means (5) for positioning a recording medium at a predetermined position on a read mechanism of a device after the recording medium loaded into a loading opening (11) has been transported to the read mechanism or a detector means for detecting that the recording medium has been positioned is provided pivotably about one end thereof inside the device. The positioning means (5) comprises first positioning portion (52) for positioning a recording medium of a smaller diameter and a second positioning portion (53) for positioning a recording medium of a larger diameter. The detector means comprises a first detector member (52a) for contacting with the rim of the recording medium of the smaller diameter and a second detector member (53a) for contacting with the rim of the recording medium of the larger diameter.

Abstract: Use as preservative in formulations for topical use containing water of a component A): a (per)fluoropolyether phosphate of general formula: Rf—[CF2CH2—Q—L—P(O) (OZ1) (OZ2)]l  (I) wherein l=1 or 2; L is a bivalent linking group; Z1 equal to or different from Z2 selected from H, alkaline or ammonium cation, di- or tri-alkanolammonium cation, di- or tri- or tetra-alkylammonium cation; Rf is a (per)fluoropolyether chain having number average molecular weight in the range from about 400 to about 1,800.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device that reduces the time for conducting a multiple word line selection test and operates stably. The semiconductor memory device includes memory cell blocks, row decoders, sense amps, block control circuits, and sense amp drive circuits. Each block control circuit generates a reset signal. The reset signal is used to select the word lines with the row decoders at timings that differ between the blocks. Each block control circuit provides the reset signal to the associated row decoder. The block control circuit also provides the reset signal to the associated sense amp drive circuit so that the sense amps are inactivated at timings that differ between the blocks.