Abstract: Charged-particle beam arrangements (e.g., apparatus and methods) for automatically correcting astigmatism and for height detection.

Abstract: A practical method for producing methionine is presented. When a substance capable of producing methionine through hydrolysis is used as raw material and converted into methionine by using a biocatalyst, the biocatalyst is repeatedly usable and the accumulation amount of methionine dissolved in the reaction solution is increased, and methionine is obtained in a solid form from the reaction solution.

Abstract: A process for producing a substance with a microbial catalyst in which a rise of the temperature of a reaction using a microbial catalyst is controlled to produce the substance at a fixed rate, or in which a substrate of the microbial catalyst is added at a fixed rate and a reaction temperature rise is controlled while a reaction using a microbial catalyst is carried out in order to produce the substance at a fixed rate.

Abstract: In order to provide a charged-particle beam apparatus and an automatic astigmatism adjustment method that are capable of adjusting astigmatism and a focus in a short period of time and with a high degree of precision, the present invention implements fast, precise and automatic astigmatism and focus adjustment by detection of an astigmatic difference's direction and magnitude as well as a focal offset in processing to process a small number of 2-dimensional pictures obtained by varying a focus in two different scanning directions, and by transformation of the direction and magnitude into two kinds of astigmatism correction quantity to be used for correction of the astigmatism as well as transformation of the focal offset into a focus correction quantity to be used for correction of the focus.

Abstract: By installing a device control module (DCM), a functional component module (FCM), and a guarantee card FCM of a digital video cassette recorder (DVCR) into an integrated receiver decoder (IRD), the IRD is able to control the DVCR. The guarantee card FCM is used for accessing an electronic guarantee card stored in a non-volatile memory of the DVCR. The IRD stores purchase information or repair information of the DVCR into the non-volatile memory of the DVCR via an IEEE-1394 serial bus in response to an instruction from a requester. The IRD also reads the purchase information or the repair information from the non-volatile memory of the DVCR via the IEEE-1394 serial bus.

Abstract: A process for preparing .alpha.-hydroxy acids by heating ammonium salts of .alpha.-hydroxy acids of general formula (I), removing the formed ammonia and water, adding water to the residue, and heating the obtained mixture, wherein R is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, alkyl(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)thioalkyl (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6), phenyl or the like. This process is freed from the problem of disposal of by-products such as ammonium bisulfate and makes it possible to prepare a free .alpha.-hydroxy acid from an ammonium salt thereof economically and in a high yield.

Abstract: A method of simulating the shape of a sample after a surface reaction processing in a short calculation time, where a partial pressure P.sub.S of the reaction gas used for a surface reaction at the surface of the sample is calculated from an equation P.sub.S =P.sub.0 -R.times.J by using the partial pressure P.sub.0 of the reaction gas in the gas feed unit used for the surface reaction, a transport resistance R of the reaction gas in a chamber for performing the surface reaction, and a magnitude J of the flow of the reaction gas numerically found at the time of simulation and this P.sub.S is taken into account in the simulation to calculate the shape of the sample after the surface reaction processing.

Abstract: A process for preparing .alpha.-hydroxy acids represented by the general formula (II): RCH(OH)COOH (wherein R represents a hydrogen atom, an optionally substituted C1-C6 alkyl group, an optionally substituted C2-C6 alkenyl group, an optionally substituted C1-C6 alkoxy group, an optionally substituted aryl group, an optionally substituted aryloxy group, or an optionally substituted heterocyclic group) by allowing a microorganism to act on .alpha.-hydroxy nitriles (I): RCH(OH)CN (wherein R is as defined above) to hydrolyze and convert the .alpha.-hydroxy nitrites to .alpha.-hydroxy acids (II), wherein the .alpha.-hydroxy acids (II) are produced and accumulated in an aqueous solvent by a microorganism having the concentration resistance to the .alpha.-hydroxy nitrites (I) and/or .alpha.-hydroxy acids (II) and durability preferably in the presence of a cyanide, and harvested. According to this process, the use of the microorganism having the concentration resistance to the .alpha.-hydroxy nitriles (I) and/or .

Abstract: A simulation apparatus for simulating a characteristic of a semiconductor circuit, including; a distribution information input unit for receiving a distribution information, the distribution information including a range and/or profile of distribution of a variation of a device parameter and/or a process parameter of the semiconductor circuit and being adaptive to an actual distribution; a random number generating unit for generating a random number on the basis of a probability responsive to the received distribution information; a characteristic calculation unit for calculating a dominant formula by using the random number to obtain a characteristic of the semiconductor circuit; and an output unit for outputting the resultant characteristic of the semiconductor circuit.