Abstract: A presentity service client has a presentity that issues presence information to a presence service and a watcher which observes presence information for other presentities; a presence change rule holding part holds a presence change rule; and a presence calculating part changes the presence information for the presentity, using as a trigger a change in presence information of other presentities, based on the presence information of other presentity acquired by the watcher and in accordance with the presence change rule held by a presence change rules holding part.

Abstract: In a cantilever which is used in a scanning probe microscope or the like and has a trapezoidal cross-sectional shape formed through anisotropic etching in a silicon process, a cantilever spring constant is determined without measuring a thickness directly. A cantilever thickness is determined based on upper base and lower base lengths of the trapezoidal cross-sectional shape and geometric regularity of a surface generated by the anisotropic etching. Then, the cantilever spring constant is determined based on the cantilever thickness, a cantilever length, and a Young's modulus.

Abstract: Provided is a friction force microscope that can measure a friction force by a cantilever in a quantitative manner. The friction force microscope includes a friction force calculating mechanism that calculates an effective probe height and a torsional spring constant of the cantilever from bending sensitivity determined from displacement information in a bending direction of the cantilever and torsional sensitivity determined from displacement information in a torsional direction of the cantilever, respectively, so as to use the calculated values for calculating the friction force.

Abstract: In detecting a displacement of a cantilever (2) by a displacement detecting mechanism (5) and allowing a probe (1) and a sample (8) to approach each other by at least one of a coarse-movement mechanism (13) and a vertical direction fine-movement mechanism (11) at the same time, an excitation mechanism (4) excites the cantilever (2) with a first excitation condition and the probe (1) and the sample (8) are allowed to approach each other with a first stop condition, and then the cantilever (2) is excited with a second excitation condition different from the first excitation condition, a second stop condition is set, and the probe (1) and the sample (8) are allowed to approach each other by the at least one of the vertical direction fine-movement mechanism (11) and the coarse-movement mechanism (13) until the second stop condition is satisfied.

Abstract: There is provided a scanning probe microscope employing a positioning apparatus M1 including a unit to be driven in XY direction having a substantially square form in plane geometry at the center of the plane in the XY directions and having a first elastic support that bends in the X-axis direction at least on one side of the square form and a second elastic support that bends in the Y-axis direction at least on one side orthogonal to the side and a support unit that supports a stage unit 1 in the XY directions such that the facing surface can face in parallel against the facing surface of the unit to be driven in the XY directions. The positioning apparatus has a space of a predetermined thickness between the surface corresponding to the unit to be driven in the XY directions at least and the facing surface of the support unit that faces against it, and the space is filled with a viscosity agent.

Abstract: A digital phase-locked loop circuit includes: a first counter which counts a first clock; a second counter which counts third clocks into which a second clock is divided; a first phase detector which detects a relative phase difference between the first and the third clocks according to a first comparison result that clocks in which the third clock is delayed are compared with the first clock and a second comparison result that clocks in which the first clock is delayed are compared with the third clock; a second phase detector which measures the period of the second clock; a phase error calculating unit which calculates a phase difference between the first and the third clocks according to the value that the result detected by the first phase detector is normalized by the result detected by the second phase detector and the count values of the first and the second counters; and a DCO which outputs the second clock according to the result calculated by the phase error calculating unit.

Abstract: In the production of spiroglycol by the reaction of pentaerythritol and hydroxypivalaldehyde in water in the presence of an acid catalyst, (A) a total content of amines and amine salts in hydroxypivalaldehyde is reduced to 1.5% by weight or lower; (B) seed crystals are added to the reaction system before initiating the reaction and/or during the reaction in an amount from 1.5 to 30% by weight on the basis of the total feed amount of pentaerythritol, hydroxypivalaldehyde, water, the acid catalyst and the seed crystals, each being fed into the reaction system; (C) the pH of the reaction system is kept from 0.1 to 4.

Abstract: An information providing apparatus of the present invention prevents searching a database for an object in a narrow area. The apparatus according to one exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: an information storing means which stores a positional description for each object; a searching means which receives a search request including an area designation, searches, based on the positional description, the information storing means for the object existing in the area and outputs an identifier of the object found; and a checking means which rejects the search request if the area size is not more than a permissible value.

Abstract: A presentity service client has a presentity that issues presence information to a presence service and a watcher which observes presence information for other presentities; a presence change rule holding part holds a presence change rule; and a presence calculating part changes the presence information for the presentity, using as a trigger a change in presence information of other presentities, based on the presence information of other presentity acquired by the watcher and in accordance with the presence change rule held by a presence change rules holding part.

Abstract: In a presence service system, at least two terminals are connected via a network to each other for communicating presence information therebetween. Each terminal applies a presence notification policy registered corresponding to a condition regarding presence information. A presence service system, a presence apparatus, a presence service method, and a presence service program make it possible to mitigate presence policy setting load imposed onto the user.

Abstract: There is provided a sample manipulating apparatus which is an apparatus for manipulating a sample mounted on a substrate surface, in which at least position data and shape data are acquired by observing the sample. Thereafter, tweezers are positioned by moving means such that the sample is positioned between an observing probe and a grasping probe based on the two set of data. After positioning, a height of the tweezers is set to a position of being remote from the substrate surface by a constant distance by moving means while monitoring a result of measurement by displacement measuring means. Thereafter, the grasping probe is moved to a side of the observing probe while monitoring the result of measurement by the displacement measuring means at the set height and the sample is grasped while detecting a grasping start point.

Abstract: A presentity service client has a presentity that issues presence information to a presence service and a watcher which observes presence information for other presentities; a presence change rule holding part holds a presence change rule; and a presence calculating part changes the presence information for the presentity, using as a trigger a change in presence information of other presentities, based on the presence information of other presentity acquired by the watcher and in accordance with the presence change rule held by a presence change rules holding part.

Abstract: A method for producing flake-like dried DOG by making DOG containing from 10 to 50% by mass of a liquid go through a continuous melt-drying step of a specified condition and then making it go through, as a next step, a vacuum-drying step of a specified condition or a ventilation-drying step of a specified condition while holding a molten state thereof, to obtain DOG in which the liquid in DOG is reduced to not more than 0.5% by mass (dried DOG), and flaking the obtained dried DOG in a flake production step.

Abstract: A method for producing flake-like dried DOG by making DOG containing from 10 to 50% by mass of a liquid go through a continuous melt-drying step of a specified condition and then making it go through, as a next step, a vacuum-drying step of a specified condition or a ventilation-drying step of a specified condition while holding a molten state thereof, to obtain DOG in which the liquid in DOG is reduced to not more than 0.5% by mass (dried DOG), and flaking the obtained dried DOG in a flake production step.

Abstract: A presentity service client has a presentity that issues presence information to a presence service and a watcher which observes presence information for other presentities; a presence change rule holding part holds a presence change rule; and a presence calculating part changes the presence information for the presentity, using as a trigger a change in presence information of other presentities, based on the presence information of other presentity acquired by the watcher and in accordance with the presence change rule held by a presence change rules holding part.

Abstract: A presence-at-home information acquisition system is provided with an identifier table update means and a presence-at-home information distribution control means. When a user inputs permission to acquire presence-at-home information on the user, an identifier table update means stores a first identifier for identifying the user and a second identifier designated by a request for acquisition of the presence-at-home information in an identifier table storage means, with both identifiers associated with each other. The presence-at-home information distribution control means judges whether or not the second identifier is stored in the identifier table storage means. When judging that the second identifier is stored, the presence-at-home information distribution control means acquires the presence-at-home information on the user specified by the first identifier associated with the second identifier from the presence-at-home information storage means.

Abstract: A buddy list manager stores a buddy list sent from a receiver terminal and manages the buddy list. A controller accepts an updating request and identifying information of a third party terminal from the third party terminal. When the controller accepts the updating request and the identifying information from the third party terminal, the controller determines whether the third party has an updating authority for updating the buddy list or not, using the identifying information. If the controller judges that the third party has an updating authority for updating the buddy list, then the controller permits the third party terminal to update the buddy list.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing ditrimethylolpropane including reacting n-butyraldehyde with formaldehyde in the presence of a base catalyst to thereby produce trimethylolpropane and ditrimethylolpropane, wherein the method includes (I) a step of reacting n-butyraldehyde with formaldehyde (1) in the presence of a base catalyst (1), to thereby produce a reaction mixture containing trimethylolpropane, ditrimethylolpropane, and 2-ethyl-2-propenal; (II) a step of recovering 2-ethyl-2-propenal through distillation of the produced reaction mixture; and (III) a step of adding, to a distillation residue obtained through recovery of 2-ethyl-2-propenal, the recovered 2-ethyl-2-propenal and formaldehyde (2), and optionally a base catalyst (2), to thereby allow reaction for production of ditrimethylolpropane to proceed, wherein the amounts of formaldehyde (I) and the base catalyst (1) supplied in step I and formaldehyde (2) and the base catalyst (2) supplied in step II are controlled to specific amo

Abstract: In detecting a displacement of a cantilever (2) by a displacement detecting mechanism (5) and allowing a probe (1) and a sample (8) to approach each other by at least one of a coarse-movement mechanism (13) and a vertical direction fine-movement mechanism (11) at the same time, an excitation mechanism (4) excites the cantilever (2) with a first excitation condition and the probe (1) and the sample (8) are allowed to approach each other with a first stop condition, and then the cantilever (2) is excited with a second excitation condition different from the first excitation condition, a second stop condition is set, and the probe (1) and the sample (8) are allowed to approach each other by the at least one of the vertical direction fine-movement mechanism (11) and the coarse-movement mechanism (13) until the second stop condition is satisfied.

Abstract: A digital phase-locked loop circuit includes: a first counter which counts a first clock; a second counter which counts third clocks into which a second clock is divided; a first phase detector which detects a relative phase difference between the first and the third clocks according to a first comparison result that clocks in which the third clock is delayed are compared with the first clock and a second comparison result that clocks in which the first clock is delayed are compared with the third clock; a second phase detector which measures the period of the second clock; a phase error calculating unit which calculates a phase difference between the first and the third clocks according to the value that the result detected by the first phase detector is normalized by the result detected by the second phase detector and the count values of the first and the second counters; and a DCO which outputs the second clock according to the result calculated by the phase error calculating unit.