Abstract: This invention is to obtain a highly reliable measurement result by correcting a hydrogen concentration by the use of a concentration of oxygen contained in a measurement gas, and the hydrogen concentration measuring instrument comprises a hydrogen concentration measuring part 2 that measures the concentration of hydrogen contained in the measurement gas flowing in a flow channel, an oxygen concentration measuring unit 3 that measures a concentration of oxygen contained in the measurement gas, and a concentration correcting unit 73 that corrects the concentration of hydrogen obtained by the hydrogen concentration measuring part 2 by the use of the concentration of oxygen obtained by the oxygen concentration measuring unit 3.

Abstract: In a sterilizer for sterilizing an object to be sterilized utilizing microwaves of a microwave oven for home use, an electrodeless discharge bulb, which seals a material such as mercury which discharges owing to receiving microwaves and emitting ultraviolet rays, is fixed in an inside of a container. An object to be sterilized is held in the container in a manner so that an objective face to be sterilized of the object faces an ultraviolet ray emitting face of the electrodeless discharge bulb. In such a state, the container is put into an inside of the microwave oven, and the microwaves are irradiated, so that the ultraviolet rays emitted from the electrodeless discharge bulb are irradiated to the objective face of the object for processing the serialization.

Abstract: A sampling apparatus for exhaust gas is capable of calibrating two flowmeters each other easily and precisely. A diluting air supply passage for diluting the sampled exhaust gas is connected to an upstream side of a diluting tunnel. A first flowmeter for measuring flow rate of air is provided in the diluting air supply passage. A measuring passage having a filter for capturing particulate matter in the exhaust gas diluted with the diluting air and a second flowmeter for measuring the flow rate of the diluted exhaust gas flowing this filter are connected to a downstream side of the diluting channel. Both flowmeters have high precision. A passage changeover part is provided at the downstream side of the first flowmeter of the diluting air supply passage; a passage changeover part is provided at the upstream side of the second flowmeter in the measuring passage; and a bypass passage is provided between the two passage changeover parts.

Abstract: A thin film strongly orienting specific crystal axes is deposited on a polycrystalline or amorphous base material in accordance with laser deposition in a simpler device through a simpler process. A target is irradiated with a laser beam, for forming a thin film in accordance with laser ablation of depositing a substance scattered from the target on a base material. In order to form the thin film, prepared are conditions capable of forming a film orienting a specific crystal axis substantially perpendicularly to the base material in substantially parallel arrangement of the target and the base material. Under the conditions, a film is deposited on the base material which is inclined at a prescribed angle .theta. with respect to the target. It is possible to deposit a film strongly orienting a specific crystal axis in a plane substantially parallel to the base material surface by inclining the base material under the specific film forming conditions.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a method of forming a single-crystalline thin film having excellent crystallinity on a base material without depending on the material for and crystallinity of the base material. In this method, a base material is provided thereon with a mask which can prevent chemical species contained in a vapor phase from adhering to the base material. The base material is continuously moved along arrow A, to deliver a portion covered with the mask into the vapor phase for crystal growth. Thus, a thin film is successively deposited on the portion of the base material, which is delivered from under the mask, from the vapor phase. A crystal growth end is formed on a boundary region between a portion of the base material which is covered with the mask and that which is exposed to the vapor phase, so that a crystal having the same orientation as the growth end is grown on a portion of the base material newly exposed by the movement.

Abstract: An oxide superconductive wire is provided by, for example, forming an oxide superconductive layer on a tape-type flexible base. A preliminary compressive strain is applied to the oxide superconductive layer in the longitudinal direction. The remaining strain can be provided by using a base having thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the oxide superconductive layer and by cooling the same after heat treatment, due to contraction of the base. Since the preliminary compressive strain is applied to the oxide superconductive layer, degradation of superconductivity of the oxide superconductive layer can be suppressed even if the oxide superconductive wire is bent in any direction, compared with the wire without such strain. Therefore, the oxide superconductive wire can be coiled, for example, without much degrading the superconductivity.

Abstract: In a method of preparing an oxide superconducting thin film having a composition of Y-Ba-Cu-O, for example, using laser ablation, which comprises the steps of applying a laser beam to a target containing components of an oxide superconductive material and depositing particles, being thereby scattered from the target, on a substrate, the oxygen gas flow rate during film deposition is set to be at least 50 SCCM, the oxygen gas pressure during film deposition is set to be 10 to 1000 mTorr, the distance between a target 9 and a substrate 10 is set to be 40 to 100 mm, the temperature of the substrate 10 is set to be 600.degree. to 800.degree. C., the energy density of a laser beam 7 on the surface of the target 9 is set to be at least 1 J/cm.sup.2, and the laser pulse energy is set to be at least 10 mJ.

Abstract: In order to enable formation of a smooth and dense oxide superconducting film with no clear appearance of grain boundaries in a fine structure even at a high film forming rate, a laser ablation method is employed to apply a laser beam 2 to a target 1 containing components of an oxide superconductive material and deposit particles, which are thus scattered from the target 1, on a substrate 3, while gaseous oxygen is supplied from a gaseous oxygen inlet 7 toward laser plasma 6, which is generated by the application of the laser beam 2.

Abstract: An oxide superconductive wire is provided by, for example, forming an oxide superconductive layer on a tape-type flexible base. A preliminary compressive strain is applied to the oxide superconductive layer in the longitudinal direction. The remaining strain can be provided by using a base having thermal expansion coefficient larger than that of the oxide superconductive layer and by cooling the same after heat treatment, due to contraction of the base. Since the preliminary compressive strain is applied to the oxide superconductive layer, degradation of superconductivity of the oxide superconductive layer can be suppressed even if the oxide superconductive wire is bent in any direction, compared with the wire without such strain. Therefore, the oxide superconductive wire can be coiled, for example, without much degrading the superconductivity.

Abstract: In order to enable formation of a smooth and dense oxide superconducting film with no clear appearance of grain boundaries in a fine structure even at a high film forming rate, a laser ablation method is employed to apply a laser beam 2 to a target 1 containing components of an oxide superconductive material and deposit particles, which are thus scattered from the target 1, on a substrate 3, while gaseous oxygen is supplied from a gaseous oxygen inlet 7 toward laser plume 6, which is generated by the application of the laser beam 2, and to a portion of the target irradiated with said laser.

Abstract: An oxide superconducting thin film formed by laser ablation comprises a matrix formed of c-axis oriented superconducting phases and foreign phases which are different in crystal orientation from the matrix. In order to improve critical current density of the oxide superconducting thin film, preferably selected are such conditions that the size of each superconducting phase in its a-b plane is not more than 0.1 .mu.m in diameter, the size of each superconducting phase along its c-axis direction is equal to the thickness of the oxide superconducting thin film, the foreign phases at least partially pass through the oxide superconducting thin film along the direction of thickness, the size of each foreign phase is at least 0.01 .mu.m and not more than 5 .mu.m in diameter, each foreign phase has an a-axis or a c-axis perpendicularly oriented with respect to the major surface of the oxide superconducting thin film, and the like.

Abstract: A laser beam (2) is applied to a target (1) of an oxide superconductive material, to deposit atoms and/or molecules which are scattered from the target (1) on a first portion (4) of a substrate (3) under an atmosphere containing oxygen for a start. Then, the substrate (3) is moved to deposit atoms and/or molecules scattered from the target (10) on a second portion, which is different form the first portion (4) of the substrate (3), under the atmosphere containing oxygen. At this time, the first portion (4) is subjected to oxygen annealing. These deposition steps are repeated until an oxide superconducting film of a desired thickness is obtained.

Abstract: In order to enable formation of a smooth and dense oxide superconducting film with no clear appearance of grain boundaries in a fine structure even at a high film forming rate, a laser ablation method is employed to apply a laser beam 2 to a target 1 containing components of an oxide superconductive material and deposit particles, which are thus scattered from the target 1, on a substrate 3, while gaseous oxygen is supplied from a gaseous oxygen inlet 7 toward laser plasma 6, which is generated by the application of the laser beam 2.

Abstract: When an oxide superconducting thin film is formed on a substrate by a vapor phase method such as laser ablation, for example, a plurality of grooves are formed on the substrate by photolithography or beam application in the same direction with an average groove-to-groove pitch of not more than 10 .mu.m, so that the oxide superconducting thin film is formed on a surface provided with such a plurality of grooves. Thus promoted is growth of crystals of the oxide superconducting thin film in parallel with the grooves, whereby respective directions of a-axes and c-axes are regulated to some extent. This improves critical current density of the oxide superconducting thin film.

Abstract: A driller device provides controlled intermittent light and sound stimuli for stimulating the visuosensory and audiosensory nerves in the rehabilitation of postapoplectic paralytic patients. Two light emitters are alternately intermittently turned on to stimulate the visual nerves of a postapoplectic patient. Also, electronic buzzers are intermittently operated for sound generation to stimulate the hearing nerves of the patient.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for making a hearth of kiln under vibration comprising mounting vibrating mechanisms to a pressurizing plate in which the area of the pressurizing surface is in the range 0.5-5 m.sup.2, and said vibrating mechanisms are mounted to the pressurizing plate directly or through a frame.

Abstract: Unshaped refractories are disclosed which have incorporated therein granules comprising fine powder refractory and carbonaceous material. The fine powder refractory may be the refractories of magnesia clinker, dolomite, magnesia-dolomite, high alumina, recovered materials of such refractories recovered after use, and mixtures of two or more thereof. The carbonaceous material may be any one of: thermosetting resin, a thermoplastic resin to which has been added pitch and hardening agent, other resins, or mixtures of two or more thereof.