Abstract: A substrate processing method includes: providing a substrate including a mask; forming a film on the mask; forming a reaction layer on a surface layer of the film; and removing the reaction layer by applying energy to the reaction layer.

Abstract: An electrochemical hydrogen compressor and a support member for an electrochemical cell include, in a flow field member, flow field grooves through which an anode gas (for example, a hydrogen gas) is allowed to flow in a predetermined direction, and a plurality of through holes one ends of which open in the flow field grooves, and other ends of which are in communication with ventilation holes of an anode current conductor. At least a portion of the through holes (for example, discharge through holes) are inclined at an acute angle with respect to an upstream side of the flow field grooves (for example, discharge flow field grooves).

Abstract: A retainer may include a retainer body, a retainer cover connected to the retainer body via a hinge, a locking member configured to fasten the retainer body and the retainer cover with a cabling member clamped between the retainer body and the retainer cover, and protective portions formed in the retainer body or the retainer cover and configured to cover axial outer sides of the hinge. The protective portions are configured such that outer peripheries thereof are substantially positioned along outer end peripheries of the hinge as viewed in an axial direction of the hinge in a locking condition of the locking member.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a housing accommodating a plurality of component devices serving functions provided in the information processing apparatus; a plurality of tags mounted to individual locations on the housing relating to the respective associated component devices, each of the tags being embedded with a piece of device type information indicating the component device associated with the tag; a storage section configured to store a plurality of component device information sets indicating respective sets of information about the component devices; a communication section configured to send and receive data to and from a mobile terminal; and a communication control section configured to allow the communication section to receive data sent from the mobile terminal and allow the communication section to send back to the mobile terminal the component device information set about the component device indicated by the piece of device type information contained in the received data.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including an area determination unit, an area processing unit and an area adjustment unit. Upon acquiring multiple image data, the area determination unit is configured to determine whether a text area or an image area of one image data matches an initial text area or an initial image area that has initially appeared in another image data. When the text area or image area of the image data matches the initial text area or initial image area as a result of the determination, the area processing unit is configured to execute processing of reducing the image data of the matching text area or image area. The area adjustment unit is configured to generate image data which is a composite of the data-reduced area resulting from the processing, and a mismatched text area or image area.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes: a housing accommodating a plurality of component devices serving functions provided in the information processing apparatus; a plurality of tags mounted to individual locations on the housing relating to the respective associated component devices, each of the tags being embedded with a piece of device type information indicating the component device associated with the tag; a storage section configured to store a plurality of component device information sets indicating respective sets of information about the component devices; a communication section configured to send and receive data to and from a mobile terminal; and a communication control section configured to allow the communication section to receive data sent from the mobile terminal and allow the communication section to send back to the mobile terminal the component device information set about the component device indicated by the piece of device type information contained in the received data.

Abstract: Provided is an image processing apparatus including an area determination unit, an area processing unit and an area adjustment unit. Upon acquiring multiple image data, the area determination unit is configured to determine whether a text area or an image area of one image data matches an initial text area or an initial image area that has initially appeared in another image data. When the text area or image area of the image data matches the initial text area or initial image area as a result of the determination, the area processing unit is configured to execute processing of reducing the image data of the matching text area or image area. The area adjustment unit is configured to generate image data which is a composite of the data-reduced area resulting from the processing, and a mismatched text area or image area.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is to provide an economical production technology for obtaining a dense boron carbide ceramic product without impairment to excellent mechanical properties, which boron carbide ceramics are inherently equipped with, by conducting heating under normal pressure without application of pressure and without needing addition of a large amount of a sintering additive to a raw material or needing any special additive or treatment. The present invention provides a production process in which, upon heating a boron carbide green body under normal pressure without application of pressure after pressing a boron carbide powder material to obtain the boron carbide green body, the boron carbide green body is heated with one of a powder, green body or sintered body, which contains at least one of aluminum and silicon, being disposed in a furnace.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus and an image forming method according to the present disclosure read a document as image data; store the image data; determine a range of a map on the image data and recognize character information and graphic information from the range of the map; estimate an area of the map, based on the character information or the graphic information; acquire map data of the area of the map; add additional information to the map data; replace the range of the map on the stored image data with the map data containing the additional information; and output the image data in which the range of the map has been replaced.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, an area dividing unit extracts character areas in each one of plural page images as objects of combination printing. An area excluding unit excludes a character area that has a size of which a ratio to a largest size of the character areas is smaller than a predetermined threshold value among the character areas extracted by the area dividing unit in each one of the plural page images. A character size identifying unit identifies a smallest character size of the character area that are not excluded by the area excluding unit among the character areas extracted by the area dividing unit in each one of the plural page images. A combination quantity determining unit determines a combination quantity of combination printing on the basis of the smallest character size identified by the character size identifying unit.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is to provide an economical production technology for obtaining a dense boron carbide ceramic product without impairment to excellent mechanical properties, which boron carbide ceramics are inherently equipped with, by conducting heating under normal pressure without application of pressure and without needing addition of a large amount of a sintering additive to a raw material or needing any special additive or treatment. The present invention provides a production process in which, upon heating a boron carbide green body under normal pressure without application of pressure after pressing a boron carbide powder material to obtain the boron carbide green body, the boron carbide green body is heated with one of a powder, green body or sintered body, which contains at least one of aluminum and silicon, being disposed in a furnace.

Abstract: A coupling structure is provided which can be used even when drive shafts cannot be provided on their end with a stopper. The coupling structure allows the drive shafts to be coupled to a differential assembly, requiring a manipulation only from outside the differential case to assure that the drive shafts are coupled to each other so as not to be movable in the direction of the axle shaft. The coupling structure includes a pair of right and left coupling heads and a coupling shaft. Each of the coupling heads has a coupling hole at the point of intersection of the axial line of pinion shafts provided in the differential assembly and the axial line of a pair of right and left drive shafts. The coupling heads are added to the drive shafts via a connector, respectively, to be rotatable about the axle shaft and not movable in the direction of the axle shaft, with the end portion of the coupling heads being disposed in a coupling ring of a cross shaft.

Abstract: A coupling structure is provided which can be used even when drive shafts cannot be provided on their end with a stopper. The coupling structure allows the drive shafts to be coupled to a differential assembly, requiring a manipulation only from outside the differential case to assure that the drive shafts are coupled to each other so as not to be movable in the direction of the axle shaft. The coupling structure includes a pair of right and left coupling heads and a coupling shaft. Each of the coupling heads has a coupling hole at the point of intersection of the axial line of pinion shafts provided in the differential assembly and the axial line of a pair of right and left drive shafts. The coupling heads are added to the drive shafts via a connector, respectively, to be rotatable about the axle shaft and not movable in the direction of the axle shaft, with the end portion of the coupling heads being disposed in a coupling ring of a cross shaft.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention is to provide an economical production technology for obtaining a dense boron carbide ceramic product without impairment to excellent mechanical properties, which boron carbide ceramics are inherently equipped with, by conducting heating under normal pressure without application of pressure and without needing addition of a large amount of a sintering additive to a raw material or needing any special additive or treatment. The present invention provides a production process in which, upon heating a boron carbide green body under normal pressure without application of pressure after pressing a boron carbide powder material to obtain the boron carbide green body, the boron carbide green body is heated with one of a powder, green body or sintered body, which contains at least one of aluminum and silicon, being disposed in a furnace.

Abstract: A novel basic refractory composition is disclosed. This composition has high resistance to calcium silicates such as cement clinkers and slag formed in steelmaking operations. It also has superior resistance to thermal shock and stresses such as load in high temperature. A refractory brick produced from this composition can be used in the firing zone of a rotary kiln and successfully withstands cement firing operations for a significantly longer period than conventional refractory bricks.The basic refractory composition consists of a synthetic calcium zirconate based clinker in combination with raw materials for magnesia; the molar ratio of CaO to ZrO.sub.2 in said clinker is in the range of 0.5-1.1, at least part of said clinker being in the form of particles having a size not smaller than 0.5 mm, ZrO.sub.2 being present in an amount of 4-49 wt % of said composition, the sum of CaO and MgO being 50-95 wt %, and the sum of ZrO.sub.2, CaO and MgO being at least 80 wt %.