Abstract: The composite oxide and the composite oxide carrier are manufactured by the precursor forming step and firing step. The precursor forming step includes high speed mixing means. The composite oxide catalyst is obtained by preparing a composite of catalytic components simultaneously with the formation of the precursor of composite oxide in the step of forming the precursor of composite oxide. The composite oxide and the composite oxide carrier are composed of a composite oxide in which at least one of cerium and zirconium, and aluminium disperse with extremely high homogeneity. With this structure, the heat resistance of the carrier is improved and consequently, enlargement of particles of the composite oxide defining the carrier, and sintering of adjacent particles of the composite oxide can be restrained, whereby the catalyst using the composite oxide carrier in accordance with the present invention is excellent in heat resistance.

Abstract: According to the present invention, even when the two-layer mode in which the inside air is introduced into a first air passage and the outside air is introduced into a second air passage is set, it is further determined whether air mix doors are controlled at the maximum hot positions. When it has been determined that the air mix doors are controlled at the maximum hot positions, the inside/outside air introduction mode is still set to the two-layer mode, because the temperature difference due to the outside air temperature is small, however, otherwise, the inside/outside air introduction mode is not set to the two-layer mode but is set to a mode in which the outside air is introduced into the both air passages. In this way, it is possible to prevent the difference between the temperatures of the air blown out from a defroster opening portion and a foot opening portion from being increased due to the temperature of the outside air.

Abstract: A method for producing phytase using a Candida boidinii transformant, by which phytase is secreted to liquid medium without substantially increasing the number of the transformant cells is disclosed. In this method, cells of a Candida boidinii transformant which is transformed with a recombinant vector comprising a promoter inducible with methanol and a gene located downstream of said promoter and operably linked to said promoter, which gene encodes a polypeptide having phytase activity, are cultured in a liquid culture medium containing phosphoric acid or a phosphate compound in an amount effective of restricting proliferation of said cells of Candida boidinii transformant such that the amount of said cells of Candida boidinii transformant is not substantially increased, while adding methanol to the culture medium, so as to make said cells secrete said phytase.

Abstract: A semiconductor device including a semiconductor substrate having a main surface. An insulating film is formed on the main surface of the semiconductor substrate. A semiconductor layer is placed on the insulating film. Side insulating regions extending from a surface of the semiconductor layer to the insulating film divide the semiconductor layer into element regions. The element regions are isolated from each other by the side insulating regions and the insulating film. The semiconductor substrate has a resistivity of 1.5 .OMEGA.cm or lower. A voltage at the semiconductor substrate is set to a given voltage.

Abstract: A method for forming dense ceramics, particularly a ceramic coating by a low temperature treatment is provided. The method for forming ceramics according to the invention is characterized in that a polysilazane having a number-average molecular weight of 100 to 50,000 or a modified polysilazane thereof is subjected to a heat treatment, then exposed to an atmosphere containing water vapor or immersed in distilled water containing a catalyst, or both, or is brought into contact with Pd.sup.2+ ions and water, the polysilazane having a skeleton comprising the unit represented by the following general formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, an alkenyl group, a cycloalkyl group, an aryl group, a group other than the above and having a carbon atom directly attached to the silicon atom, an alkylsilyl group, an alkylamino group and an alkoxy group; with the proviso that at least one of R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus has an adjusting mode which enables determination of a magnification correction value. A predetermined image on a test chart placed on an original table or an image of a chart fixed outside the valid image area are read, and the proper correction value for compensating for any variation in the image magnitude within a scanning system is computed based on the results of reading the test chart image. Subsequently, a printing system is operated to print test chart data read from a memory and the image printed in accordance with the test chart data is read by the scanner system which has been corrected, the result of the reading being used in computing the magnification correction value for compensating for any magnification variation occurring in the printer system.

Abstract: An original reading apparatus includes an original feeding unit for feeding the front and back sides of two-side originals in succession to a reading position, a reader unit for reading the original in the reading position, a memory unit for storing the image data of the original read by the reader unit, a read-out unit adapted to read the image data from the memory unit in the continuous order of pages, in case of reading a bundle of originals wherein the pages are so arranged that a side of the original bears the images of N-th and first pages and the other side of the original bears the images of (N-1)-th and second pages, and an output unit for successively outputting or transmitting the image data read by the read-out unit.

Abstract: A solid solution particle of oxides contains a solid solution of oxides in which one oxide is dissolved into the other oxide, and in which the degree of dissolution of one oxide into the other oxide is not less 50%, and in which an average diameter of crystallite is not more than 100 nm. The solid solution particle of oxides has small average diameter of a crystallite and large specific surface area, and it improves capacities such as an oxygen storage ability due to high degree of dissolution. A catalyst for purifying exhaust gases has excellent purifying performance by employing the solid solution comprising ceria and zirconia which has large OSC and high oxygen adsorption and discharge speed.

Abstract: A communication controller enables connection between different apparatuses while protecting user's original commands and confidential data. The communication controller has a standardized mode and a user's original mode. By preventing connection with an apparatus which does not have a proper access right in advance, and transmitting data while enciphering the data when the user's original mode is executed, internal information is protected, and the secrecy protection property is not reduced.

Abstract: The present invention is to allow display based on the setting positions of devices in selection of a desired device to be used, and facilitate selection considering the setting positions of the devices. The present invention can also display equipments so as to allow discrimination between an equipment included in an image processing apparatus and an equipment connected on a communication line. Equipments in a network environment are placed on the first floor (1F), the second floor (2F), and the third floor (3F) in a building and connected through a network (LAN 1300). For example, a computer (1310) collects device information including status information and setting position information from usable input/output devices. For example, status information representing "BUSY" and setting position information representing "3F-B block" are transferred from a virtual optical scanner (1302).

Abstract: A print control system managing a print job on a job basis and on a page basis. When a print job is interpreted, a job description file and page data for each page are created. The job description file contains the attribute of the entire job and a job element (content) list. An item of page data is associated with the print attribute of each page including image data. The job control module extracts necessary image data according to the job element list and sends it to a printer. Because a plurality of print jobs share the common data, many job management functions, including print job combination and page addition/deletion, can be implemented easily.

Abstract: A catalyst for purifying exhaust gases includes a porous support, at least one catalyst ingredient selected from Pt and Pd, and additional ingredients including (1) at least two rare-earth elements including La, (2) at least one rare-earth element including La and at least one transition element selected from Fe, Ni, Co and Mn, (3) at least two alkali metals, (4) at least one alkali metal and at least one rare-earth element including La, (5) at least one alkali metal and at least one transition element selected from Fe, Ni, Co and Mn, (6) at least two alkaline-earth metals, (7) at least one alkaline-earth metal and at least one rare-earth element including La, or (8) Ba, Li, La, Ce and Zr. A process for purifying an exhaust gas, by contacting the catalyst with an exhaust gas, is also provided.

Abstract: There is disclosed an image forming apparatus, such as a copying machine, capable of various image forming modes. The image forming mode can be selected by feeding a mode registration format sheet into the apparatus. The format sheet can be a marking sheet, on which the operator can designate the desired image forming mode, and can be printed by the image forming apparatus itself in response to an instruction by the operator, so that the format sheet need not be prepared elsewhere in advance. Also the content of the format sheet, printed by the image forming apparatus, is varied according to the available copying modes, depending on the connection status of external processing units such as document feeder and sorter to the image forming apparatus.

Abstract: In an information processing system in which an input apparatus (10) which can input information and can transmit the input information, and a processing apparatus (7) which can process received information are connected to a network (4), and which system can realize a function of inputting and processing information by the network as a whole, information input by the input apparatus is controlled to be divisionally or simultaneously transmitted in correspondence with the relationship between the input apparatus (10) and the processing apparatus (7) in the network.

Abstract: A speech recognition apparatus recognizes utterances of unnatural speech having a higher performance of recognition accuracy with a smaller amount of speech learning data. The speech recognition apparatus includes an acoustic-phonetic variability learning unit, a normal speech model memory, a spectrum smoother-modifier and a speech recognizer. An input speech signal is acoustically analyzed and transformed into a time-series feature vector. The acoustic-phonetic variability learning unit learns an acoustic-phonetic change of spectrum caused by unnatural speech and generates a plurality of acoustic-phonetic variability models. The normal speech model memory stores a normal speech model learned based on normal speech data. The spectrum smoother-modifier modifies the normal speech model based on a plurality of the acoustic-phonetic variability model and generates a plurality of spectrum-modified speech models.

Abstract: A novel phytase is disclosed. The phytase consists essentially of a single type of subunits, and can hydrolyze a phytate to myo-inositol. A gene encoding the phytase, which is originated from Schwanniomyces occidentalis is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process of molding a synthetic resin screw includes upper mold members 2 and 4, lower mold members 3 and 5, and four sets of slide cores 2a, 4a, 3a and 5a supported by the respective mold members and withdrawable in directions parallel to a parting plane between the upper mold members and the lower mold members.

Abstract: A novel phytase is disclosed. The phytase consists essentially of a single type of subunits, and can hydrolyze a phytate to myo-inositol. A gene encoding the phytase, which is originated from Schwanniomyces occidentalis is also disclosed.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine in which a three-way catalyst (12) for purification of the exhaust gas is arranged in the exhaust passage, wherein the relationship between the magnitude of the stress causing deterioration of the three-way catalyst (12), for example the catalytic bed temperature, and the rate of deterioration of the performance of the catalyst is found. A durability test is performed by raising the catalytic bed temperature higher than that of the vehicle under market driving. The length of the durability test at this time is determined from the relationship between the catalytic bed temperature and the rate of deterioration of the performance of the catalyst so as to give the same degree of deterioration of the performance of the catalyst as with market driving. The length of the durability test required for giving the same degree of deterioration of the performance of the catalyst is much shorter than the market driving time.