Abstract: In high-tech fields such as electronics, the development of new high performance materials which differ from conventional materials has received much attention. An object of the present invention is to provide a clathrate compound which can be used as a thermoelectric material, a hard material, or a semiconductor material. Atoms of an element from group 4B of the periodic table are formed into a clathrate lattice, and a clathrate compound is then formed in which specified doping atoms are encapsulated within the clathrate lattice, and a portion of the atoms of the clathrate lattice are substituted with specified substitution atoms. Suitable doping atoms are atoms from group 1A, group 2A, group 3A, group 1B, group 2B, group 3B, group 4A, group 5A, group 6A, and group 8, and suitable substitution atoms are atoms from group 1A, group 2A, group 3A, group 1B, group 2B, group 3B, group 5A, group 6A, group 7A, group 5B, group 6B, group 7B, and group 8 of the periodic table.

Abstract: A composition of a compound or derivative thereof in which at least one carbon atom of 5-aminolevulinic acid is a carbon isotope and/or a nitrogen atom in its amino group is a nitrogen isotope, and where said derivative is an ester, amide, salt, hydrate or solvate of the compound, and a diagnostically acceptable carrier. A method for detecting malignant tumors, by administering a tumor detecting effective amount to a host in need of tumor detection of a compound or derivative thereof in which at least one carbon atom of 5-aminolevulinic acid is a carbon isotope and/or a nitrogen atom in its amino group is a nitrogen isotope, and where said derivative is an ester, amide, salt, hydrate or solvate of said compound and detecting the malignant tumors using NMR.

Abstract: A composition for peeling, comprising a compound selected from the group consisting of 5-aminolevulinic acid, derivatives thereof and salts thereof; and a method for improving the skin of human or animal, comprising: administering the compound selected from the group consisting of 5-aminolevulinic acid, derivatives thereof and salts thereof to the skin of human or animal, and carrying out peeling of the skin.

Abstract: The present invention provides a clathrate compound which can be used as a thermoelectric material, a hard material, or a semiconductor material. Silicon or carbon are formed into a clathrate lattice, and a clathrate compound is then formed in which specified doping atoms are encapsulated within the clathrate lattice, and a portion of the atoms of the clathrate lattice are substituted with specified substitution atoms. The clathrate lattice is, for example, a silicon clathrate 34 (Si34) mixed lattice of a Si20 cluster including a dodecahedron of Si atoms, and a Si28 cluster including a hexahedron of Si atoms. Suitable doping atoms are atoms from group 1A, group 2A, group 3A, group 1B, group 2B, group 3B, group 4A, group 5A, group 6A, and group 8, and suitable substitution atoms are atoms from group 1A, group 2A, group 3A, group 1B, group 2B, group 3B, group 5A, group 6A, group 7A, group 5B, group 6B, group 7B, and group 8 of the periodic table.

Abstract: An apparatus for and a method of heating semiconductor devices of the invention can cope with semiconductor devices having a variety of package shapes at low cost and can restrain the apparatus from being large sized and power supply capacity from being increased. The trays and place multiple DUTs thereon. A heating chamber holds the trays and therein. A tray moving mechanism moves the trays and inside and outside the heating chamber. A hosing step and a supplying step are completed during a heating step.

Abstract: Provided is a symmetrical filter that uses a single comparator. In addition to a voltage divider, a current regulator, and a comparator, the filter of the invention provides control logic that turns on or off a pull up switch and/or pull down switch in order to fully charge or fully discharge a capacitor. Accordingly, in one aspect, the invention is a control logic for a symmetrical filter. Furthermore, timing logic is provided to provide for a more rigorous symmetrical filter performance.

Abstract: The invention can be easily applied to various contacts irrespective of the length of time needed for replacing ICs with other ICs relative to the contact. An IC handler comprises contact cleaning chips made of a material including polishing particles in the same shape as an ICs wherein a transfer attachment is removed from the contacts when contact cleaning chips are conveyed to the contacts so as to contact the contacts, then the contacts are taken out.

Abstract: In this invention, a mixture of a diazotizing reagent which reacts with nitrous ions to produce a diazo compound, a coupling reagent which couples with a diazo compound to produce an azo dye, and an acid is placed in pores of a transparent porous body to prepare a sensor element. Nitrogen dioxide gas is sensed in accordance with a color change before and after the sensor element is exposed to air to be measured for a predetermined time.

Abstract: Microorganisms producing 5-aminolevulinic acid which show a 5-aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity of 2 to 7 (nmol/min/mg protein) under aerobic culture conditions with a dissolved oxygen concentration of 0.70 to 6.60 ppm; a process for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid characterized by culturing one or more microorganisms and harvesting 5-aminolevulinic acid from the obtained culture; a process for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid characterized by culturing 5-aminolevulinic acid-producing microorganisms in a medium containing 5 to 500 &mgr;M of iron components; and a method for culturing 5-aminolevulinic acid-producing microorganisms.

Abstract: An effective method for cleaning flux residues produced in process of fabricating semiconductor devices, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor devices including this cleaning method are provided. The flux cleaning method for cleaning the solder bump electrodes formed using a flux comprises the steps of: applying a pretreatment process including coating of the solder bump electrode with the flux and applying a heat treatment thereto, and carrying out the flux cleaning to clean the heat-treated flux.

Abstract: In a centrifugal type blower unit, a diameter of an air suction port is set to be larger than a minimum inner diameter of a centrifugal fan, and a slanting portion is formed in each blade of the centrifugal fan at a side of the air suction port so that an inner radius dimension of the centrifugal fan is increased toward the air suction port. Therefore, it can prevent sub-flow air which is sucked into the centrifugal fan from an end side of the blades in an axial direction from interfering with main-flow air which is sucked into the centrifugal fan from an inner radius side of the blades. Thus, the blower unit can reduce second noise generated therefrom without greatly reducing air-blowing capacity.

Abstract: Even though battery packs are removed abruptly from portable electronic apparatuses with their semiconductor memories contained therein before power switches are turned off, data stored in the semiconductor memories are protected. There is provided a portable telephone apparatus including a portable telephone unit and a battery pack mounted thereto, wherein the battery pack including a battery for supplying the portable telephone unit and components in the battery pack with electric power, an opening from which a semiconductor memory is removably inserted, and a memory controller for controlling the operation of reading data stored in the semiconductor memory inserted from the opening in accordance with a control signal from the portable telephone unit, and wherein the portable telephone unit including means for reproducing the data read out from the semiconductor memory.

Abstract: A controller of a data recorder that records data on a recording medium such that the occurrence of buffer underrun errors are prevented. Data encoded by an encoder is recorded on the recording medium. A decoder decodes the data recorded on the recording medium. The data recorder interrupts the recording of data when a buffer underrun is likely to occur. The controller restarts the recording of data when the decoded data and the encoded data are synchronized. When the decoded data is delayed from the encoded data, the controller stops the encoding until the decoded data catches up with the encoded data.

Abstract: A data recorder for recording data on a recording medium such that the occurrence of buffer underrun errors are prevented. Data encoded by an encoder is recorded on the recording medium. A decoder decodes the data recorded on the recording medium. The data recorder interrupts the recording of data when a buffer underrun is likely to occur. The recording of data is restarted when the decoded data and the encoded data are synchronized. When the decoded data is delayed from the encoded data, encoding is stopped until the decoded data catches up with the encoded data.

Abstract: A controller for a data recorder for recording data that records data in a continuous manner regardless of interruptions. An encoder encodes data that is to be written to a recording medium. A synchronizing circuit synchronizes the data read from the recording medium with the encoded data when the writing of data to the recording medium is interrupted. A first retry determination circuit determines whether an address of the data read from the recording medium and an address of the data provided to the encoder match. A second retry determination circuit determines whether the timing for reading data from recording medium and the timing for encoding data match. A restart circuit restarts the writing of data to the recording medium based on the determinations of the first and second retry determination circuits.

Abstract: A data recorder for recording data that records data in a continuous manner regardless of interruptions. An encoder encodes data that is to be written to a recording medium. A synchronizing circuit synchronizes the data read from the recording medium with the encoded data when the writing of data to the recording medium is interrupted. A first retry determination circuit determines whether an address of the data read from the recording medium and an address of the data provided to the encoder match. A second retry determination circuit determines whether the timing for reading data from recording medium and the timing for encoding data match. A restart circuit restarts the writing of data to the recording medium based on the determinations of the first and second retry determination circuits.

Abstract: A internal circuitry protection scheme which protects on-IC circuitry when an external pin is shorted to a higher than normal voltage. The disclosed solution eliminates cross-talk due to a parasitic NPN.

Abstract: A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism has a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase variant having a reduced inhibitor constant for a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase inhibitor. A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism is a photosynthetic bacterium that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid without light irradiation. A process for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid comprising the step of culturing a microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid in a culture medium under at least one condition selected from the group consisting of (a) less than 1 ppm of dissolved oxygen concentration in the culture medium, (b) from -180 to 50 mV of oxidation-reduction potential in the culture medium, and (c from 5.times.10.sup.-9 to (KrM-2.times.10.sup.-8) (mol of O.sub.2 /ml.multidot.min.cndot.cell) of cellular respiration rate, wherein KrM represents the maximum cellular respiration rate when oxygen is supplied in an excess quantity.

Abstract: A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism has a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase variant having a reduced inhibitor constant for a 5-aminolevulinic acid dehydratate inhibitor. A microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid, wherein the microorganism is a photosynthetic bacterium that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid without light irradiation. A progess for producing 5-aminolevulinic acid comprising the step of culturing a microorganism that produces 5-aminolevulinic acid in a culture medium under at least one condition selected from the group consisting of (a) less than 1 ppm of dissolved oxygen concentration in the culture medium, (b) from -180 to 50 mV of oxidation-reduction potential in the culture medium, and (c) from 5.times.10.sup.-9 to (KrM-2.times.10.sup.-8) (mol of O.sub.2 /ml.multidot.min.multidot.cell) of cellular respiration rate, wherein KrM represents the maximum cellular respiration rate when oxygen is supplied in an excess quantity.

Abstract: A method for improving plant salt-tolerance is described, which comprises treating a plant with an active ingredient comprising at least one compound selected from the group consisting of 5-aminolevulinic acid, a derivative of 5-aminolevulinic acid, a salt of 5-aminolevulinic acid, a salt of derivatives of 5-aminolevulinic acid, and hemins. Furthermore, a salt-tolerant plant is described, wherein the plant is treated with the above-described active ingredient. Moreover, a method for causing recovery of a salt-damaged plant is described, comprising administering the above-described active ingredient to a salt-damaged plant.