Abstract: Proteinaceous food product is heated by immersing the product in a liquid bath and maintaining the bath at a controlled temperature within a range that treats the proteinaceous food product without substantial loss of functionality.

Abstract: A plasma processing apparatus includes a conductive thin film provided on a surface of a microwave introducing member which is exposed to a processing chamber, in which an object to be processed is placed. The conductive thin film is provided at the entire portion excluding a transmission portion, through which microwaves pass into the processing chamber. The conductive thin film is grounded to act as an electrode.

Abstract: A method for in-situ cleaning of a chuck that bears a semiconductor wafer in a semiconductor manufacturing machine maintains a processing chamber in a sealed condition with the chuck inside the chamber. A wafer bearing surface of the chuck is exposed upon determining that the chuck requires a cleaning. A cleaning gas is then injected into the chamber and RF power is applied to the chamber to create a plasma that cleans the wafer bearing surface. Since the processing chamber is maintained in a sealed condition during the in-situ cleaning of the chuck, the time required to clean the chuck and prepare the chamber for continued production runs is greatly reduced.

Abstract: A method for the removal of residue from an etched precision surface such as a semiconductor sample is provided which comprises exposing said precision surface to a supercritical fluid or liquid CO.sub.2 under appropriate conditions that are sufficient to remove the residue from the precision surface. Cryogenic aerosol may be used in conjunction with either the supercritical fluid or liquid CO.sub.2.

Abstract: A process for preparing a culture skin which comprises the following steps:a) a step in which a culture skin matrix comprising a collagen sponge, a collagen sheet or a collagen gel is prepared in a means having a projection to provide said matrix with a penetrating pore,b) a step in which a skin-derived cell is seeded and cultured on said matrix, andc) a step in which the culture skin is provided with a penetrating pore by the means having the projection before said culture skin covers a skin defect, if necessary, the steps a) and b) are simultaneously carried out; a culture skin matrix and a culture skin obtained thereby.

Abstract: Nitrogen atoms on the surface of a first body are terminated by hydrogen atoms after the surfaces of the first body and a second body to which it is to be bonded are cleaned. The surface of the first body terminated by the hydrogen atoms and the surface of the second body are bonded to each other so that hydrogen bonds are formed between the nitrogen atoms and the bonded hydrogen atoms on the surface of the first body and the atoms on the surface of the second body. Using these hydrogen bonds, the surface of the first body and the surface of the second body are strongly bonded to each other. When the surface of the second body is formed with nitride or oxide, strong hydrogen bonds of N--H .sup.- - - N or N--H .sup.- - - O are formed between the first body and the second body. Thus, the method does not require bonding under high temperature or high pressure.

Abstract: A method of rounding corners of isolating trenches formed in a substrate with a planar surface includes a first step of forming a masking material on the planar surface. Edges of the masking material are offset from the corners of the isolating trenches. The second method step includes growing an oxide on an exposed portion of the substrate under high temperature. The oxidation under high temperature causes the corners of the isolating trenches to become rounded.

Abstract: The presence or absence of an organism in a sample is detected by isolating the organism from the sample by a suitable affinity matrix, releasing the organism from the affinity matrix, rupturing the cells of the organism to release total nucleic acid and hydrolyzing or digesting the total nucleic acid to form mononucleotides or individual free nucleic acid basic and inorganic phosphate to form an analyte solution, and assaying the analyte solution for the at least one presence of free nucleic acid base or inorganic phosphate to thereby determine whether the organism was present in the sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to a new hard crystalline coating based on a specific mixture of polyols. It exhibits, in particular, the characteristic of having an improved crunchiness compared with the coatings known in the prior art. The subject of the invention is also a process for producing this specific coating and an improved process for hard coating based on xylitol, maltitol or lactitol or mixtures thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new mucoadhesive pharmaceutical composition which makes possible the prolonged release of active pharmaceutical principles in the buccal cavity or via the transmucosal route.

Abstract: The present invention concerns a method for inactivating a virus for use in e.g. a vaccine, by treating the virus with an ethyleneimine at a pH of less than 7.0, and methods of treatment with the inactivated virus.

Abstract: A system for removing protective coatings from a circuit board assembly. The system includes a tool for removing protective coatings from a circuit board assembly. The tool has a flow head, which includes a support, having an opening which is adapted to contact the circuit board assembly and flow solvent to the surface of the circuit board. The flow head may also include a solvent nozzle positioned within the support. The solvent nozzle has an opening adapted to apply solvent to the circuit board assembly. The flow head also includes a solvent recovery volume positioned beneath the support and adjacent to the nozzle. The system also includes a second solvent reservoir, a mechanism for applying heat to the reservoir, and a mechanism for circulating solvent from the reservoir to the flow head and back to the reservoir.

Abstract: Package comprising a polymer blend of ionomer and polybutylene in which at least one seam is made up of the blend being sealed to itself.

Abstract: In a plasma processing method, a substrate is processed by placing the substrate on an electrode in a vacuum chamber, introducing a gas into the vacuum chamber while discharging gas from inside vacuum chamber, applying a high frequency voltage to a spiral discharge coil while keeping the vacuum chamber internally at a pressure to generate a plasma inside the vacuum chamber. At least one of the control parameters of gas type, gas flow rate, pressure, magnitudes of high frequency powers applied to the coil and the electrode, and their high frequency power frequencies is varied while the substrate is processed. The method includes a step of allowing a plasma density in-plane distribution to be controlled in accordance with the timing of varying any of the control parameters.

Abstract: An endpoint detector for plasma etching comprises a photo detecting section for receiving an emission spectrum of plasma due to etching gas from a process chamber for providing plasma etching to a processing object so as to detect a specific waveform of the received emission spectrum, a calculating section for detecting an endpoint of an etching process based on a detecting signal sent from the photo detecting means, the photo detecting section comprises a first optical system for detecting light having a specific wavelength from the emission spectrum received from the process chamber so as to be photoelectrically transferred, and a second optical system for detecting a part of the emission spectrum so as to be photoelectrically transferred before light having a specific wavelength is extracted from the emission spectrum by the first optical system, and the calculating section reduces drift of an electrical signal, which is based on light having a specific wavelength extracted from the first optical system, b

Abstract: A system for cleaning and etching a wafer. The system includes few buffer tanks to complete the cleaning and etching process. The system further includes a loader for loading the wafer, each buffer tank storing a unique chemical solution. At least one process tank is provided for retaining the loaded wafer, and is coupled to the buffer tank to receive the chemical solution from said buffer tank and to perform the cleaning and etching of the wafer.

Abstract: This invention relates to a directly compressible enzyme powder produced by mixing a liquid enzyme preparation with a suitable carrier, using the principle of wet granulation, whereby the step of freeze drying and spray-drying is avoided. The resulting enzyme powder has extraordinary good compression qualities and may directly be tabletted.

Abstract: A process for preparing a product from a pulse crop as a starting material and a food containing the product prepared from a pulse crop as a starting material are disclosed according to the present invention, thereby enabling a food, a livestock feed, an aquacultural feed or the like to be efficiently prepared, which is made from a leguminous crop or a defatted product thereof or the like, which has excellent carcinopreventive and carcinostatic activities, osteoprosis therapeutic effect and immunosuppressive effect, and which can be ingested in a sufficient amount, and thereby enabling a wholesome food such as a biscuit having the above-mentioned excellent pharmacological activities. Any conventional product made from a pulse crop does not have such excellent pharmacological activities and a process for preparing the same is poor in efficiency.

Abstract: A mucoadhesive controlled-release pharmaceutical formulation comprising at least one active principle selected from the group consisting of melatonin and melatonin derivatives, composed of a first layer and a second layer, the first layer being mucoadhesive and permitting a sustained release of the active principle, and the second layer being nonmucoadhesive, and permitting a rapid release of the active principle.

Abstract: The present invention relates to novel immortalized precursor cell populations derived from embryonic stem cell populations and methods to produce such cell populations. Also disclosed is an assay to identify regulatory compounds capable of controlling cell growth for therapeutic and experimental use.