Abstract: An initial single-crystalline diamond base material is prepared from a flat plate having a major surface and side surfaces consisting of low-index planes. Then, single crystalline diamond is homoepitaxially vapor-deposited on the single-crystalline diamond base material, and a resulting diamond material is cut and polished in a particular manner to provide a successive base material on which single-crystalline diamond is again grown, thereby forming a single-crystalline diamond having a large area. A holder for the single-crystalline diamond base material consists of or is coated with a material hardly forming a compound with carbon. Single crystalline diamond can be stably formed on the surfaces of the base material. Consequently, single-crystalline diamond of high quality having a large area can be stably produced in a shorter time using either plasma CVD or a thermal filament method.

Abstract: In a device for removing nitrogen oxides from exhaust gas of a combustion device by spraying a treatment agent capable of chemically reducing nitrogen oxides contained in the exhaust gas from an injector in a combustion chamber or an exhaust passage of the combustion device, the effectiveness of the treatment agent is optimized by detecting a combustion condition of the combustion device, and supplying water and at least one treatment agent in a selective and alternating manner according the detected combustion condition.

Abstract: A facsimile apparatus processes a predetermined signal from a second external apparatus by means of correlating a first external apparatus with the second external apparatus if the facsimile apparatus is communicating with the first external apparatus when the second external apparatus transmits the predetermined signal to the facsimile apparatus. The signal is used for the operative connection between the facsimile apparatus and the second external apparatus. According to the present invention, the second external apparatus is prevented from frequently transmitting the predetermined signal to the facsimile apparatus. The present invention is applicable to a facsimile apparatus used for an integrated digital network.