Abstract: A fuel cell system is provided with a judgment unit which makes a gas leak judgment based on a pressure drop of fuel gas in a gas leak detection portion by consuming the fuel gas in the gas leak detection portion of the fuel gas supply system by electric power generation of a fuel cell and causing auxiliary devices to consume the electric power generated by the fuel cell, and comprises a control unit which increases consumption of the fuel gas in the gas leak detection portion by increasing the electric power consumption of the auxiliary devices. With this arrangement, where the electric power generation of the fuel cell and the electric power consumption of the auxiliary devices result in an insufficient consumption of the fuel gas, the consumption of the fuel gas can be accelerated by increasing the electric power consumption of the auxiliary devices. Thereby, a rapid gas leak judgment can be achieved.

Abstract: An exhaust valve early-closure control brings about blowback of exhaust gas into an intake system. However, if the exhaust valve early-closure control is executed, for example, during a first idle operation immediately following the startup of the engine, or the like, the amount of blowback exhaust gas becomes excessively large. Therefore, when the post-startup increase amount has decreased to or below a lower-limit criterion value, the ECU prohibits the exhaust valve early-closure control, and changes the control to a usual valve timing control. As a result, during a period during which the combustion state has a stability margin and the amount of emission of HCs and the like is large, the exhaust emission quality can be bettered by the exhaust valve early-closure control. Besides, when the post-startup increase amount has decreased, the combustion state can be stabilized by prohibiting the exhaust valve early-closure control.

Abstract: A sewing machine operating device includes a plurality of operating members configured to be operated by a user with his/her foot, the operating members having respective detectors which each detect an action of the foot in a contact or non-contact manner and include at least two detectors mounted so as to be opposed to each other while the foot placed on the base is interposed between the detectors from sides of the foot, a signal output unit configured to generate an operation signal according to operation of each operating member and deliver the operation signal via a connecting mechanism to the sewing machine body, and a position adjusting mechanism configured to change a position of at least one of the operating members mounted on the base, the position adjusting mechanism including a distance adjusting mechanism adjusting a distance between the at least two detectors in an increasing or decreasing direction.

Abstract: Black particles include a black pigment; and a cyan pigment, wherein when the reflectance to light of wavelength of 420 nm and the reflectance to light of wavelength of 770 nm of plural samples are measured, the standard deviations (1?) of the measured values are about 1 or less with respect to both wavelengths.

Abstract: An optical system is able to achieve a substantially azimuthal polarization state in a lens aperture while suppressing loss of light quantity, based on a simple configuration. The optical system of the present invention is provided with a birefringent element for achieving a substantially circumferential distribution or a substantially radial distribution as a fast axis distribution in a lens aperture, and an optical rotator located behind the birefringent element and adapted to rotate a polarization state in the lens aperture. The birefringent element has an optically transparent member which is made of a uniaxial crystal material and a crystallographic axis of which is arranged substantially in parallel with an optical axis of the optical system. A light beam of substantially spherical waves in a substantially circular polarization state is incident to the optically transparent member.

Abstract: A resist lower-layer composition configured to be used by a multi-layer resist method used in lithography to form a layer lower than a photoresist layer acting as a resist upper layer film. The resist lower-layer composition is insoluble or poorly-soluble in an alkaline developer after formation of the lower layer, and the resist lower-layer composition comprises, at least, a thermal acid generator for generating an acid by heating at a temperature of 100° C. or higher.

Abstract: An electric power tool is provided that includes a motor as a driving source, a first operation switch, a first semiconductor switch, and a second semiconductor switch. The first operation switch is operated by a user to be turned ON/OFF. The first semiconductor switch, provided on a current path from the power source to the motor, includes at least one semiconductor switching device. When the first operation switch is OFF, the first semiconductor switch is turned OFF to interrupt the current path. When the first operation switch is ON, the first semiconductor switch is turned ON to close the current path. The second semiconductor switch is provided on the current path in series with the first semiconductor switch and includes at least one semiconductor switching device. The second semiconductor switch closes/interrupts the current path by being turned ON/OFF in accordance with an input control signal.

Abstract: The substrate comprises a first silicon layer, a target layer made from silicon-germanium alloy-base material forming a three-dimensional pattern with first and second securing areas and at least one connecting area. The first silicon layer is tensile stressed and/or the target layer contains carbon atoms. The first silicon layer is eliminated in the connecting area. The target layer of the connecting area is thermally oxidized so as to form the nanowire. The lattice parameter of the first silicon layer is identical to the lattice parameter of the material constituting the suspended beam, after said first silicon layer has been eliminated.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a reference-based coding unit that encodes image information for an image partition having a predefined size by referring to image information for another image partition; an independently coding unit that encodes the image information for the image partition independently of any other image partition; and a bounds defining unit that defines bounds of reference to be made by the reference-based coding unit.

Abstract: With a rack-and-pinion mechanism, an impact force is absorbed and reduction in assembling performance is suppressed. An annular fitting groove (51) that extends in the circumferential direction of a rack guide (41) is formed in an outer peripheral face (41a) of the rack guide (41), and an O-ring (52) is fitted in the fitting groove (51) in a state in which the axial movement of the O-ring (52) is restricted. A communication groove (61) that provides communication between an internal space (55), defined by the fitting groove (51) and the O-ring (52), and the outside of the rack guide (41) is formed in the rack guide (41).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of observing biological tissue, the method comprising: collecting through a first end of a bundle of optical fibers light from a surface of the tissue; observing at least one image of the tissue at a second end of the bundle, while injecting light into the second end of the bundle to illuminate the surface of the tissue.

Abstract: An image-processing device includes: an integration unit that, if connection information has been assigned to predetermined corresponding end points of both a first image component and a second image component from among image components, integrates the adjacent image components; a calculation unit that calculates the sum of values, the values being assigned corresponding to the connection information assigned to each end point of the image components in an integrated image component that is composed of a plural image components integrated by the integration unit; and a tabular region extraction unit that, if the value calculated by the calculation unit is equal to or greater than a threshold value corresponding to the number of image components included in the integrated image component, extracts a region of the integrated image component as a tabular region.

Abstract: A fold down device for the windscreen of a vehicle and in particular for an armored windscreen, wherein said device incorporates two uprights hinged by a first end to the structure of the cab of said vehicle, each of said uprights being placed in the vicinity of the lateral edge of said windscreen, said windscreen being linked to each of said uprights by a connecting rod that is hinged on one side to the second end of each of said uprights and on the other to said windscreen.

Abstract: An open-rotor gas turbine engine comprising a starter/generator, a first spool and a second spool, the second spool is of a lower pressure than the first spool; wherein the starter/generator is connected to the first and second spools via first and second clutches respectively. The method of operating the open-rotor engine comprises the step of supplying power to the starter/generator to drive the first spool via the first clutch to start the engine and, once the engine is self-propelling, a step of driving the starter/generator from the second spool via the second clutch to generate electricity.

Abstract: A transmittance sensor that detects the optical transmittance of biofuel is provided on a fuel tank that stores biofuel to be supplied to an internal combustion engine. An ECU periodically acquires the optical transmittance detected by the transmittance sensor, and calculates the amount of change from the previous value. In addition, the ECU calculates a degradation index value indicating the degree of degradation of the biofuel by accumulating the amount of change.

Abstract: The degree of deterioration of a catalyst is obtained accurately in cases where a plurality of catalysts is disposed at an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine. Under the assumption that the degree of deterioration of a catalyst which is disposed at a location upstream of an NOx selective reduction catalyst and has an oxidizing ability is at a predetermined value, the ratio of NO2 in the NOx which inflows into the NOx selective reduction catalyst is estimated; the NOx removal rate of the NOx selective reduction catalyst is calculated a plurality of times at least until a local maximum value is obtained; and the degree of deterioration of the catalyst having an oxidizing ability is determined by comparison between the ratio of NO2 observed when the NOx removal rate of the NOx selective reduction catalyst reaches the local maximum value and a reference value of the ratio.

Abstract: A method and system for controlling a flow control valve, comprising measuring a flow at a suitable point of a flow process and calculating a pressure drop across the valve from a Cv curve of the valve, a measured valve opening ?m, and the measured flow (Qm). From this calculated pressure drop, a flow set point (Qsp), and an inverse Cv curve of the valve, a new valve opening (?c) providing the desired flow is calculated. The control is thus adapted to each operating point and its prevailing flow gain and linearizes the dependence between flow control and flow.

Abstract: There is provided an occupant detection correction system including: a load detection section that detects load imparted to a vehicle seat and outputs a load signal representing the load; an occupant detection section that detects an occupant based on the load signal and is capable of resetting the load signal to a reference point based on a predetermined reset instruction; a tilt angle detection section that detects a predetermined tilt angle of a seatback; and a permitting section that permits execution of resetting the load signal to the reference point by the occupant detection section when the predetermined tilt angle is detected by the tilt angle detection section.