An automated method for analyzing seeds generally includes collecting image data from individual seeds using a seed sampling system, determining at least one characteristic of each of the individual seeds based on the collected image data, and removing tissue from each of the individual seeds using the seed sampling system. The method also includes, prior to removing the tissue sample from each of the individual seeds, adjusting at least one operational parameter of the seed sampling system based on the at least one characteristic of the seed from which the tissue is to be removed to thereby allow for generally consistent removal of tissue from each of the individual seeds. In some aspects, the method further includes analyzing the tissue removed from the seeds for presence or absence of at least one characteristic, and selecting seeds based on presence or absence of the at least one characteristic.

The present invention relates to a composition comprising a neonicotinoid-based compound having a high degree of insecticidal activity, a surfactant, and an organic solvent, which is capable of demonstrating stable effects and in which the types and amounts of surfactant and organic solvent are adjusted so as to prevent chemical damage in numerous types of trees. In addition, the present invention relates to a method for preventing damage to trees by harmful insects of numerous types of trees by injecting this composition into a tree trunk and allowing the chemical to circulate within the tree body.

Turf (1) for sports, recreational activities and/or for ornamental purposes comprising a mat of flexible material (10) equipped with a first face (11) and a second face (12) opposite to each other. To the mat (10) a plurality of fibers (20) are connected of an artificial material in such a way that it forms an artificial turf (50) that protrudes from the first face (11). The turf (1) comprises, furthermore, a measured amount of a loose infill material (50), for example of granular type, distributed on the face (11) of the mat (10). The turf (1) comprises, furthermore, natural vegetable material, i.e. plants, belonging to one, or more plant species (30) put in the loose infill material (50) by means of sowing, transplantation of portions of plants, or a combination of the two solutions. The fibers of artificial material (20) have a profiled shape comprising a main blade (21) and at least one side wing (22). More precisely, the side wing (22) has a curved profile suitable for forming a channel (25) arranged substantially parallel to the main blade (21) in order to form a channel that is substantially parallel to said main blade, so that the profile of the channel partially or completely encircles the spaces that are occupied by water, roots and loose infill material, creating a water reserve for roots.

A seed sampling system is provided having an automated seed loading assembly including a seed bin and being operable to singulate seeds from a plurality of seeds within the seed bin. The system also includes an automated seed sampling assembly operable to remove tissue samples from the singulated seeds, and an automated seed transport assembly operable to transfer the singulated seeds from the seed loading assembly to the seed sampling assembly. The seed transport assembly includes multiple retention members. Each of the retention members is movable relative to the seed loading assembly and to the seed sampling assembly. The seed transport assembly is operable to position one of the multiple retention members adjacent to the seed loading assembly for engaging one of the singulated seeds, while positioning another of the retention members adjacent to the seed sampling assembly for presenting another of the singulated seeds to the seed sampling assembly.

The present invention is directed to device and method for promoting plant growth. The device is a plant spacing member that has a body and a first end and a second end. The first end and second end have openings for receiving at least one plant limb therein to create a space between the limbs of the plant. An increased flow of air and light then flow through the created space to the interior of the plant to stimulate the growth of the plant. In addition, the increase flow of air and light dries the plant to reduce the accumulation of mold and mildew.

The invention provides a nontoxic photoluminescent adjuvant delivered to targeted crops, plants and seeds to assist spray operations in low light or dark light operations. These crops and plants include: not for human consumption crops, turf grass, ornamental flowers, seeds, shrubs and bushes. Spray operations are delivered to the foliar, crown and soil parts and seeds of a crop or plant.

A plant air purifying enclosure, or “PAPE,” contained within an unconditioned space, either within or outside a building, containing therein a plant air purifier, which is used to purify air using plants and microbes growing therein. The PAPE enclosure itself receives poor indoor quality air from within structure where the PAPE is located or from a structure close by along with thermal energy which keeps the plant air purifier enclosure at a suitable temperature for the plants and air cleaning microbes within the air purifier. Poor air enters the enclosure, is purified by the plants and microbes, and returns in purified form back to the habitable space from which it was taken. This lowers the amount of outside air needed for ventilation purposes and so lessens a building's overall energy consumption while providing efficiently for naturally purified air. Fundamentally, the object of this invention is to specify devices, systems and methods to house/enclose plant purifiers in such a way that they can readily be deployed on a wide scale.

A plant container assembly, method, and kit include a plant container with a sidewall having first and second sidewall portions, an open top, and an open bottom. A hinge member is on the sidewall between the open top and the open bottom and pivotally connects the first and second sidewall portions for movement between an open position of the plant container, and a closed position of the plant container forming an interior space capable of containing plant growing medium. A closure portion extends along the sidewall between the open top and the open bottom. A plant support cooperatively engages the closure portion and selectively holds the plant container in the closed position. A planar member is configured to be selectively placed within the plant container and supported on a ledge member on each of the first and second sidewall portions to selectively form a bottom closure for the plant container.

Method and apparatus for growing plants in vertical stacks by providing vertically stacked, interconnected pairs of plant platforms and light trays carrying growth promoting light sources. Each light tray is suspended below the underside of the next above plant platform. The stack is vertically raised in succession whereby the plant platforms are suspended and vertically spaced from each other. Thereafter, plants are placed between suspended platforms under the light trays which are regulating during periods of plant growth and non-growth.

A method and apparatus for processing seed or seed samples includes an autonomous sorter which sorts seed by pre-programmed criteria. Optional features can include a counter to autonomously ensure the correct number of seeds to a seed package, a cleaning device, a sheller, and a label applicator. A conveyance path, controlled automatically, can move the seed to appropriate and desired stations during the processing while maintaining the sample segregating from other samples. Validation of the sample can be pre-required and information about the sample can be derived and stored for further use.

An automated seed sampler system includes an imaging device for obtaining images of seeds, an orienting device for orienting the seeds based on the images, and a sampling station for removing tissue from the oriented seeds. In some aspects, the system also includes a transport subsystem for supporting the oriented seeds and conveying the oriented seeds to the sampling station. A method for removing tissue from seeds includes imaging the seeds, orienting the seeds based on image information obtained from the seeds, and removing tissue from the oriented seeds. In some aspects, the method also includes transporting the oriented seeds in a transport subsystem to a sampling station for removing the tissue from the oriented seeds, and/or collecting the tissue removed from the oriented seeds so that a one-to-one correspondence exists between the tissue and the sampled seeds, and/or analyzing the tissue for characteristics indicative of genetic and/or chemical traits.

A plant cultivation device and feed-water control method, in which a detected moisture amount to start watering and a water amount to be used per watering are easily determined, includes a plant cultivation container for pooling plant cultivation water; a water-absorbing plant cultivation bed material; a feed-water device for supplying the plant cultivation water to the plant cultivation container; a first moisture sensor for detecting moisture around an immersed part of the plant cultivation bed material; a second moisture sensor for detecting moisture around a growth part of the plant cultivation bed material where a root of a plant is received; and a controller for supplying water when values detected by both of the first and second moisture sensors are below respective reference values, and for stopping water supply when a value detected by either the first or second moisture sensor is above the corresponding reference value.

A composition comprising peat moss and one or more alkoxylates selected from the group consisting of alcohol alkoxylates and alkylphenol alkoxylates and, optionally, one or more polysaccharides, for example guars and/or guar derivatives. A synergistic effect of a combination of the alkoxylates and the polysaccharides was discovered. A method of preparing the peat moss composition and a method of using it are also disclosed.

The invention provides a non-toxic photoluminescent adjuvant delivered to targeted crops, plants and seeds to assist spray operations in low light or dark light operations. These crops and plants include: not for human consumption crops, turf grass, ornamental flowers, seeds, shrubs and bushes. Spray operations are delivered to the foliar, crown and soil parts and seeds of a crop or plant.

A rover includes a base having wheels and a propulsion system coupled to the wheels to propel the rover around a field. A tower is coupled to the base and extends over the base. Sensors are set on the tower and the base and are configured to sense environmental conditions around the rover at different elevations. A computing system includes a processor and memory. The memory is configured to receive measured data from the sensors and determine an amount and manner of water to be dispensed on plant life in the field.

A rover includes a base having wheels and a propulsion system coupled to the wheels to propel the rover around a field. A tower is coupled to the base and extends over the base. Sensors are set on the tower and the base and are configured to sense environmental conditions around the rover at different elevations. A computing system includes a processor and memory. The memory is configured to receive measured data from the sensors and determine an amount and manner of water to be dispensed on plant life in the field.

A diffusion device for atomizing liquids includes a floating magnet disposed within a track inside at least one package with liquid for the atomizing diffusion device, wherein as a liquid level inside the package changes, the floating magnet moves substantially vertically along the track, a plurality of Hall effect sensors or Hall effect switches disposed outside the liquid at various positions, the Hall effect sensors or Hall effect switches each generating an output voltage in response to a magnetic field of the floating magnet, and a processor that receives the output voltages and fits them to a model that includes the floating magnet position with respect to various sets of output voltages to determine a position of the floating magnet with respect to the Hall effect sensors.

An electrostatic atomizing device includes a discharge section capable of retaining a liquid, a voltage applying section for applying a voltage to the discharge section, and a control section for setting the voltage applied by the voltage applying section to a given voltage at which a charged particulate water can be produced in an amount equal to or greater than a given amount. The control section is configured to set the voltage applied by the voltage applying section to a voltage lower than the given voltage at an operation start, and then to change the lower voltage to the given voltage. The electrostatic atomizing device can shorten a time needed before the electrostatic atomizing phenomenon occurs.

The present disclosure provides a system and method articulating and rotary spray system for fluids that includes a first drive for rotating a mast for different headings and a second drive for rotating a nozzle for different pitches at any time with or without rotation of the mast. The method and system uses a system of interacting gears that rotate a control rod in variable synchronization to control the nozzle pitch relative to the mast heading while the control rod orbits about a center of rotation of the rotating mast along a longitudinal axis.

A storm dissipation system having: means for moving water from a body of water located in the proximity of said storm, and means for mixing said water with the air for the purpose of changing the energy of said storm.

In one embodiment, a method of creating a protected field is disclosed. In one embodiment, the method includes directing a first flow of air around a target space, drawing the first flow of air in through a primary air intake vent to create a first flow field envelope. In one embodiment, a second flow of air is directed within the first flow field envelope.

In a piezoelectric ejector assembly, a piezoelectric actuator is attached to an ejector mechanism, while a drive signal generator and a controller are coupled to the actuator. The drive signal generator is configured to generate a drive signal for driving the actuator to oscillate the ejector assembly. The controller is configured to control the drive signal generator to drive the actuator at a resonant frequency of the ejector assembly, and an auto-tuning circuit is provided to define the optimum drive signal frequency.

The invention provides an air and fluid cleaning system for propelling a cleaning fluid and air onto a vehicle vision device such as a vehicle camera system. The cleaning system comprises at least one fluid nozzle aimed at the camera; at least one cleaning fluid pump fluidly connected to both a fluid supply conduit and a cleaning fluid source; at least one air nozzle aimed at the vehicle camera; and at least one telescopic air jet fluidly connected to the air nozzle, hydraulically connected to the fluid supply conduit, and operated by the fluid pressure provided by the cleaning fluid pump; such that during a first operation time interval only cleaning fluid is propelled onto the vehicle camera and during a second operation time interval only an air jet burst is propelled onto the vehicle camera. The invention further includes a method for cleaning a vehicle camera exposed to ambient.

A method of forming a material for reversible hydrogen storage within a storage tank includes charging a mixture of a metal amide and a metal hydride to the storage tank, and chemically reacting the mixture at a reaction condition within the storage tank to form a thermally conducting composite material situated in the storage tank and for reversibly storing hydrogen. The composite material includes a three-dimensional and interconnected framework including a conductive metal. A method for reversibly storing hydrogen includes providing a storage tank and in situ chemically forming a composite material by charging a mixture of a metal amide and a metal hydride to the storage tank and chemically reacting the mixture at a reaction condition to form a thermally conducting composite material including a metal hydride and a substantially unreactive elemental metal framework. Hydrogen is absorbed into the composite material and is desorbed from the composite material.

A multifunctional hand-operable beverage service tool includes a casing having a cavity defined therein, the casing having a proximal end region and a distal end region. A plurality of tools are pivotally coupled to said casing, the tools each being independently pivotable relative to the casing along an arcuate path defined between retracted and deployed positions; wherein one of said plurality of tools comprises a wine key lever. A first opening is positioned through the distal end region of the casing, the first opening being constructed and arranged to engage and remove a bottle cap. A second opening comprising a finger hole is positioned through the proximal end region of the casing.

This tool, which is in particular a hammer, comprises a gripping handle, a striking head, and an intermediate shaft extending the handle and supporting the head, whereas the handle comprises a tube in which the shaft partially extends, this tube and this shaft being made from a rigid material presenting a first hardness. This shaft has a radial area bearing against the tube, with interposition of a link part, for absorbing vibrations, made from flexible material presenting a second hardness that is much lower than the first hardness, and a free terminal area, not covered by the link part, radially separated from the walls of the tube so as to be able to vibrate freely in an internal volume of the tube.

A retractable bottle opener with a wearable wrist band coupled to a wrist-arm area of a user, a first end positioned proximal to the wrist area of the user, and a second end positioned on a forearm of the user, and a bottle opener coupled to the wearable wrist band. The opener has a first end, a second end, an opener length separating the first and second ends of the bottle opener, a working surface shaped to engage with a bottle, and a handle portion. Further, the retractable bottle has a storage position along an opener translation path with both the working surface and the handle portion disposed at least one of along the forearm of the user and proximal to the wrist area of the user and an operational position along the opener translation path with both the working surface and the handle portion disposed in a user's hand.

A method for controlling the effective heat transfer from a storage unit (1). During gas release from storage material (3) in the storage unit the storage material is heated by a heater (2). During re-saturation of the storage material (3) with gas the heater is off. Controlling of the effective heat transfer from the storage unit (1) is performed, during gas release, by ceasing convection of a convection gas and, during re-saturation, by performing or enabling convection of a convection gas to cool the storage unit (1).

A combination five gallon bucket opener, includes a handle portion and a head portion, a first opener feature located in the head portion, the first opener feature having a plurality of engaging members and a bearing surface, at least one of the engaging members configured to receive a tab of a lid, at least one of the engaging members configured to engage a top surface of the lid, and a second opener feature located in the head portion, the second opener feature having at least one extended member configured to receive a cap, the at least one extended member having at least one feature defined therein to engage a corresponding feature on the cap.

An exemplary aspect comprises an apparatus comprising: a brush component comprising a handle on a first end of a shaft and a brush on a second end of the shaft; and a shovel component removably connected to the brush component; wherein the brush is at least partially enclosed within the shovel component when the shovel component is connected to the brush component, and wherein the brush is exposed when the shovel component is disconnected from the brush component.

An amino-containing silica particle is provided. The amino-containing silica particle is obtained by hydrolysis-condensation reaction of an alkoxy silane represented by formula (I), an alkoxy silane represented by formula (II) and a catalyst: Si(OR1)4 formula (I) (NH2—Y)m—Si(OR2)4-m formula (II) wherein in formula (I), R1 is a C1-C10 alkyl group, and in formula (II), Y is a C1-C10 alkyl group or a C2-C10 alkenyl group, R2 is a C1-C10 alkyl group, and m is an integer of 1 to 3.

Provided are a propylene homopolymer composition for a capacitor film, which can provide a film with excellent high-temperature voltage resistance and excellent thin-film stretchability, a method for producing the same, and a capacitor film. The propylene homopolymer composition for a capacitor film contains 50 to 99% by mass of a propylene homopolymer (A1) having predetermined characteristics and 1 to 50% by mass of a propylene homopolymer (B1) having predetermined characteristics, and has (i) a melt flow rate (MFR) of 1.0 to 10.0 g/10 min and (ii) a chlorine content of 2 ppm by mass or less.

Provided is a hardcoat film having a film thickness of 25 μm or less in which a polymerized substance of a compound having an energy ray-curable group and a resin are mixed across an entire region in a film thickness direction, in which a percentage of a mass concentration of the resin which is represented by the Expression (1) as defined herein has a distribution in which the percentage is maximized on at least one of two opposed surfaces, in the film thickness direction, of the hardcoat film or at a central part, in the film thickness direction, of the hardcoat film.

A method for protecting a surface of an article from sulfate corrosion resulting from exposure to a sulfate containing material at an elevated temperature includes coating the surface with a nickel based material to form an anti-corrosion coating. The nickel based material includes NiO, a spinel of formulation AB2O4, or a combination thereof, wherein A includes nickel, and B includes iron or a combination of manganese and a B site dopant.

Method for the manufacture of a formulation comprising the steps of: i) providing a metal in liquid form; ii) spraying the metal or metal alloy of step i) through a stream of gas under pressure to obtain substantially spherical solid metal particles; iii) mixing the solid metal particles of step ii) and at least a fluoropolymer to obtain said formulation; iv) optionally applying the formulation of step iii) to a surface to obtain a coating, or optionally shaping said formulation to obtain a shaped material. The present invention further relates to a formulation, a coating or a shaped material, preferably obtained through the method described.

The present invention relates to a pressure sensitive adhesive sheet containing, laminated in this order, a supporting substrate, a pressure sensitive adhesive layer (X), a continuous void-containing layer including a composition containing silica particles, and a pressure sensitive adhesive layer (Y), the continuous void-containing layer having a mass concentration of the silica particles of more than 60% and 100% or less.

An aromatic printed object containing a film-like substrate and a printing section formed on the film-like substrate using a perfume microcapsule-containing toner. The aromatic printed object is an adhesive sheet wherein the printing section is adherend surface. A protective layer is pressed with the adherend surface. A fragrance diverges by peeling off the protective layer of the film-like substrates.

A coated substrate is provided that can include a substrate defining a surface, and an abradable coating on the surface of the substrate. The abradable coating can comprise La2-xAxMo2-y-y' WyBy'O9-δ forming a crystalline structure, where A comprises Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs, Sc, Y, Ce, Pr, Nd, Pm, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb, Lu, Th, Be, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ba, Cu, Bi, Cd, Zn, Ag, Au, Pt, Ir, Rh, Ru, Pd, or combinations thereof; 0

A method for selective deposition of an organic solderability preservative coating on a copper surface of an article is disclosed. The method includes two steps of organic coatings by two solutions; the first step contains contacting the copper surface with a first solution including azole compound and the second step contains contacting the copper surface treated by the first solution with a second solution including a specific pyrazine derived compound.

A sheet material includes a fibrous substrate made of microfibers and a hydrophilic-group-containing resin applied to the fibrous substrate. The hydrophilic-group-containing resin has a microphase-separated structure that satisfies Condition I: In a phase image obtained by observing an area of 1 μm2 in a cross-section of the hydrophilic-group-containing resin applied to the fibrous substrate by phase imaging using an atomic force microscope (AFM), a standard deviation of a mode of brightness distribution of areas of 0.2 μm2 in the area of 1 μm2 is from 0 to 10. Provided are a sheet material that is produced through an eco-conscious production process and yet has such uniformity that is comparable to those of man-made leathers produced using organic-solvent-based polyurethanes, an elegant surface appearance, and a good touch, and a method for producing such a sheet material.

The present invention provides an artificial leather including an entangled fiber mass of ultrafine fibers having a monofilament fineness of 0.01 dtex or more and 0.50 dtex or less and a polymeric elastomer; wherein at least one surface is napped; the cross-sectional profile curve of the napped surface has an arithmetic mean height Pa of 26 μm or more and 100 μm or less; the arithmetic mean height Pa of the cross-sectional profile curve of the opposite surface is 20% or more and 80% or less of the cross-sectional roughness Pa of the napped side; the existence frequency of asperity peaks found in the cross-sectional profile curve of the napped surface is 1.8 or more and 20 or less per 1.0 mm; and a woven or knitted fabric lamination is present near the opposite surface at a depth position of 10% or more and 50% or less.

An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing an ultrafine fiber-containing sheet with suppressed yellowing. Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient method for eliminating an introduced substituent, and a composite sheet comprising an organic layer and/or an inorganic layer laminated on the obtained sheet. The present invention provides a method for producing an ultrafine fiber-containing sheet, comprising (a) introducing a substituent having electrostatic and/or steric functionality to a fiber raw material to obtain substituent-introduced fiber; (b) machine-processing the substituent-introduced fiber obtained in the step (a) to obtain substituent-introduced ultrafine fiber; (c) preparing a sheet from the substituent-introduced ultrafine fiber obtained in the step (b); and (d) eliminating at least a portion of introduced substituents from the sheet obtained in the step (c). In a preferred aspect, the substituent having electrostatic and/or steric functionality is a phosphoric acid-derived group, and the method may further comprise, after the step (a) and before the step (c), the step of (e) changing the degree of neutralization of the substituent-introduced fiber or the substituent-introduced ultrafine fiber.

A lightweight construction element (1) comprises at least one lightweight panel (2) and a layer of insulating material (4) associated with the lightweight panel (2), wherein the at least one lightweight panel (2) comprises boards (6), which, on at least one of the main surfaces (8) thereof, have a group of grooves (9) running parallel and which boards (6) are arranged in at least one layer (5) and are connected to one another via adhesive bonds. The layer of insulating material (4) comprises wood chips (19), which are removed from starting boards during the manufacture of boards (6) for the lightweight panels (2). These lightweight construction elements have good load and thermal insulation properties. The material used originates from one source and achieves a large overall volume after processing.

The invention provides a high strength stone plastic floor and manufacturing method thereof. The stone plastic floor comprises a PVC substrate and a surface layer on a surface of the PVC substrate. Compositions of PVC substrate comprise: PVC powder from 20 to 35 weight percent, calcium carbonate from 60 to 70 weight percent, stabilizer from 1 to 3 weight percent, flexibilizer from 1 to 3 weight percent, lubricants from 0.4 to 1 weight percent, and colorant from 0.4 to 1 weight percent. The high strength stone plastic floor does not contain plasticizer so environmental risks are completely avoided. The contractility is good. The high strength stone plastic floor is resistant to high temperature and direct sunlight. Compared with conventional stone plastic floor, lifespan of the present invention is prolonged. The PVC substrate of the floor can be combined with different layers and can integrate different advantages of other floors.

In nanoimprinting processes, photo-cured products often separate from the substrate and stick to the mold due to insufficient adhesion between the photo-cured product and the substrate. This causes a defect of pattern separation. An adhesion layer composition used for forming an adhesion layer between a substrate and a photocurable composition includes a compound (A) having at least two functional groups, and a solvent (B). The functional groups include at least one functional group capable of being bound to the substrate, selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, carboxy, thiol, amino, epoxy, and (blocked) isocyanate, and at least one hydrogen donating group as a functional group capable of being bound to the photocurable composition.

The magnetic tape has a nonmagnetic layer containing nonmagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support and a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on the nonmagnetic layer, wherein a fatty acid ester is contained in at least the magnetic layer, the ferromagnetic powder is ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder, the ferromagnetic hexagonal ferrite powder has a crystallite volume as determined by X-ray diffraction analysis ranges from 1,000 nm3 to 2,400 nm3, and a ratio of the crystallite size Dx(107) obtained from a diffraction peak of a (107) plane to a particle size in a direction of an easy axis of magnetization DTEM as determined by observation with a transmission electron microscope, Dx(107)/DTEM, is greater than or equal to 1.1, and ΔSFD in a longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape as calculated with Equation 1: ΔSFD=SFD25° C.−SFD−190° C., ranges from 0.50 to 1.60.

The present invention relates to an electrode having a multilayer nanomesh structure using single-crystalline copper and a method for manufacturing same, the electrode comprising: a substrate; a single-crystalline copper electrode layer formed on the substrate and having a hive-shaped pattern with a nano-sized line width; and a metal oxide layer formed on the single-crystalline copper electrode layer, this providing an electrode having excellent optical transmittance, low electrical sheet resistance, and excellent mechanical stability. The present invention is technically characterized by an electrode having a multilayer nanomesh structure using single-crystalline copper, the electrode comprising: a substrate; a single-crystalline copper electrode layer formed on the substrate and having a hive-shaped pattern with a nano-sized line width; and a metal oxide layer formed on the single-crystalline copper electrode layer.

Provided is a method for manufacturing magnetic particles, in which an oxidation treatment, a reduction treatment, and a nitriding treatment are performed in that order on raw material particles with a core-shell structure in which a silicon oxide layer is formed on the surfaces of iron microparticles, thereby nitriding the iron microparticles while maintaining the core-shell structure. Due to this configuration, granular magnetic particles with a core-shell structure in which a silicon oxide layer is formed on the surfaces of iron nitride microparticles can be obtained.

There is provided a surface-treated copper foil including a surface coating layer provided on at least one surface of a copper foil, the surface coating layer being mainly composed of silicon with a hydrogen content of 1 to 35 atomic % and/or a carbon content of 1 to 15 atomic %. This foil can be manufactured by forming a surface coating layer composed mainly of silicon with the above hydrogen and carbon contents on at least one surface of the copper foil by PVD or CVD. The present invention can provide a copper foil with a surface coating layer that can achieve a high bonding strength to a resin layer even if the copper foil has an extremely smooth surface such as one formed by vapor deposition, for example, sputtering and also has a desirable insulation resistance suitable for achieving a fine pitch in a printed wiring board.

Game systems and methods of use thereof. Such a game system includes a pair of game boards each having a platform that defines an inclined surface, a pair of stakes each configured to protrude from one of the surfaces of the game boards, and at least two sets of game pieces, each game piece having two weighted tossable objects tethered to one another by a connecting member, each set of game pieces being readily identifiable from the other. A game may be played by tossing the game pieces towards the surfaces of the platforms and calculating a score based on the interaction between the game pieces and the stakes of the game boards and their surfaces, wherein the game ends when a predetermined total score is reached.