Abstract: Disclosed are: a method for detecting (diagnosing) visceral obesity in a subject; a test agent useful for the method; a method for searching for a substance that can be used as an active ingredient for ameliorating visceral obesity; and an ameliorating agent for visceral obesity or a medicinal agent for preventing a metabolic disease developed as a result of the progression of visceral obesity. As the test agent, a polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 nucleotides and can hybridize with a nucleotide sequence for coiled-coil domain containing protein 3 (CCDC3) gene or a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence under stringent conditions or an antibody capable of recognizing CCDC3 protein is used.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a method for detecting (diagnosing) visceral obesity in a subject; a test agent useful for the method; a method for searching for a substance that can be used as an active ingredient for ameliorating visceral obesity; and an ameliorating agent for visceral obesity or a medicinal agent for preventing a metabolic disease developed as a result of the progression of visceral obesity. As the test agent, a polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 nucleotides and can hybridize with a nucleotide sequence for coiled-coil domain containing protein 3 (CCDC3) gene or a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence under stringent conditions or an antibody capable of recognizing CCDC3 protein is used.

Abstract: Disclosed are: a method for detecting (diagnosing) visceral obesity in a subject; a test agent useful for the method; a method for searching for a substance that can be used as an active ingredient for ameliorating visceral obesity; and an ameliorating agent for visceral obesity or a medicinal agent for preventing a metabolic disease developed as a result of the progression of visceral obesity. As the test agent, a polynucleotide which comprises at least 15 nucleotides and can hybridize with a nucleotide sequence for coiled-coil domain containing protein 3 (CCDC3) gene or a nucleotide sequence complementary to the nucleotide sequence under stringent conditions or an antibody capable of recognizing CCDC3 protein is used.

Abstract: The present invention is structured so that a track of a recording medium is divided into a carrier wave area that is continuously wobbled by a carrier wave wobble of a specific carrier wave cycle, and an address area that is wobbled by a special wobble that has a cycle different from the carrier wave wobble and a phase determined in response to data 0 and data 1 of information stored by a wobble.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided with a plurality of information recordable recording layers, and a spiral or concentric tracks are formed on each of the plurality of recording layers. At least a portion of each track has wobbles corresponding to a wobble signal that includes layer information for discriminating the recording layer formed with the track.

Abstract: An optical disk includes a recording surface on which a plurality of pits, corresponding to multilevel (three level or higher) information, is formed as a spiral or concentric pit array. The pit array wobbles periodically. A plurality of predetermined reference marks, corresponding to a period of the wobble, are included in the pit array.

Abstract: A multi-level information reproducing method for reproducing from a recording medium on which marks having detection signal levels different according to multi-level information are recorded in areas virtually divided uniformly, comprising the steps of: a) obtaining a reproduced signal from a series of patterns of multi-level information indicating an average level of intersymbol interference components to adjacent areas generated from marks according to all the multi-level information; and b) optimizing frequency characteristics of a reproducing part with respect to the reproduced signal.

Abstract: A display unit displays information without a power supply. An area identifying unit determines whether the display apparatus is inside a permission area where a read of the information displayed on the display unit is permitted. A data controller deletes the information displayed on the display unit or displays other information on the display unit, when the area identifying unit determines that the display apparatus has moved from inside the permission area to outside the permission area.

Abstract: A multilevel information recording apparatus is disclosed, which includes a control unit that inputs signals to a strategy generating unit and a laser drive unit based on the multilevel information being recorded, a signal indicating the playback and recording state, and a clock signal indicating the cell frequency that is in synch with the multilevel information. The strategy generating unit generates a pulse signal in accordance with the timing of the laser beam emission of a write pulse, an off pulse, a bias pulse, and a space pulse based on the signal from the control unit and the clock signal. The laser drive unit determines the driving current of a laser light source based on a delayed playback signal/delayed recording signal that is obtained by delaying the playback signal/recording signal for a processing time of the strategy generating unit, a pulse signal from the strategy generating unit indicating the emission timing of the pulses, and an intensity signal predetermined for each pulse.

Abstract: In an optical information record medium including a plurality of record layers that are recordable, various signal characteristics with respect to an area X in a record layer A (second layer) among the plurality of record layers are defined under a condition that an area Y in a record layer B (first layer) adjacent to the record layer A (second layer) on an incident side thereof along an optical axis of a light beam shone on the area X is a prerecorded area. This suppresses variation and errors in the measurement of characteristics of various signals caused by the interfering light coming from an adjacent record layer, thereby making it possible to manage and define media parameters with characteristic values having high reliability, compatibility, and reproducibility.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical pickup device that is resistant to noise in a signal or an RF signal outputted from each light receiving member. Current signals outputted from the light receiving members are converted into voltage signals by I/V converters. The voltage signals are then added up by an adder, and then the added voltage signal is attenuated by an attenuator, so as to obtain an RF signal having the same signal level as the voltage signal outputted from each I/V converter. The RF signal is then transmitted from the optical pickup device to a circuit substrate through a signal line.

Abstract: An information recording medium is provided with a plurality of information recordable recording layers, and a spiral or concentric tracks are formed on each of the plurality of recording layers. At least a portion of each track has wobbles corresponding to a wobble signal that includes layer information for discriminating the recording layer formed with the track.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel fructose responsive transcription control cis-element and a transcriptional regulatory factor that interacts therewith, a non-human animal having them transferred or inactivated, a diagnostic method for genetic susceptibility to a metabolic disorder using them, and a screening method for a prophylactic or therapeutic drug for a metabolic disorder using them.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an azole compound represented by the formula [I] wherein W is S or O; R is —COOR7, —X1-A1-COOR7 (R7 is H, alkyl) or tetrazolyl; R1, R2, R3 and R4 are H and the like; A is —(CH2)m—X— (X is —N(R8)—, —C(R9)(R10)—, —CO— or —CO—N(R8)—); B is aryl or aromatic heterocyclic group; R5 is H and the like; R6 is —(Y)s1-(A2)s-Z (Y is —O—, —S(O)t—, —N(R13)—, —N(R14)—CO—, —N(R14)—SO2—, —SO2—N(R14)— and the like, A2 is alkylene, and Z is cycloalkyl, aryl, aromatic heterocyclic group, indanyl, piperazinyl, a prodrug thereof or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. The compound [I] of the present invention has a protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitory activity, and is useful as a therapeutic agent for diabetes, a therapeutic drug for diabetic complications or a therapeutic drug for hyperlipidemia.

Abstract: A write clock generation circuit is provided that can detect wobble signal in high accuracy and can appropriately generate write clock with only small jitter even when the operation is switched from reproduction to recording. The wobble signal is obtained by changing stepwise the gain of a variable gain amp in the rear stage of a divided photo detector using a gain control circuit in a predetermined time period just after the beginning of recording. The write clock signal is generated using the above wobble signal. According to this arrangements, the change in wobble signal just before and after the beginning of recording can be reduced, and the gain change of a wobble signal amplitude regulation AGC is made slow. As a result, high frequency deviation of the wobble signal can be reduced even when the operation is switched from reproduction to recording, and the write clock with only small jitter can be generated.

Abstract: A write clock generation circuit is provided that can detect wobble signal in high accuracy and can appropriately generate write clock with only small jitter even when the operation is switched from reproduction to recording. The wobble signal is obtained by changing stepwise the gain of a variable gain amp in the rear stage of a divided photo detector using a gain control circuit in a predetermined time period just after the beginning of recording. The write clock signal is generated using the above wobble signal. According to this arrangements, the change in wobble signal just before and after the beginning of recording can be reduced, and the gain change of a wobble signal amplitude regulation AGC is made slow. As a result, high frequency deviation of the wobble signal can be reduced even when the operation is switched from reproduction to recording, and the write clock with only small jitter can be generated.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical pickup device that is resistant to noise in a signal or an RF signal outputted from each light receiving member. Current signals outputted from the light receiving members are converted into voltage signals by I/V converters. The voltage signals are then added up by an adder, and then the added voltage signal is attenuated by an attenuator, so as to obtain an RF signal having the same signal level as the voltage signal outputted from each I/V converter. The RF signal is then transmitted from the optical pickup device to a circuit substrate through a signal line.

Abstract: A wobble detection circuit detects a signal by a common photodetector (light receiving) element from several kinds of media having different pre-formats. Further, the wobble detection circuit changes a gain for amplifying the signal in a wobble signal detection process depending on the pre-format of a reproducing or recording medium to obtain a wobble signal.

Abstract: The present invention is structured so that a track of a recording medium is divided into a carrier wave area that is continuously wobbled by a carrier wave wobble of a specific carrier wave cycle, and an address area that is wobbled by a special wobble that has a cycle different from the carrier wave wobble and a phase determined in response to data 0 and data 1 of information stored by a wobble.

Abstract: A device for demodulating position information that is recorded as track wobbling in a record medium by a BPSK scheme includes a carrier-wave-generation circuit which derives a carrier wave from a wobbling signal obtained from the record medium, a phase-adjustment circuit which generates a phase-comparison signal having a 90° phase difference relative to the carrier wave, a multiplier which multiplies the wobbling signal and the phase-comparison signal to supply a product signal, and a detection circuit which detects a phase error of the carrier wave introduced by the carrier-wave-generation circuit by detecting the phase error between the wobbling signal and the phase-comparison signal based on the product signal.