Abstract: A hydrous gel substantially comprising at least two polymers selected from the group consisting of polyacrylic acid, sodium polyacrylate and partially neutralized polyacrylate, and water, the polymers being crosslinked by containing an aluminum compound, wherein the pH when the hydrous gel is 100-fold diluted with purified water is from 6.5 to 8.5. A hydrous gel which can stably hold an ascorbic acid or a derivative thereof, has high gel strength, exhibits good adhesion to an adherend and causes no liquid syneresis can be provided.

Abstract: An adhesive composition for dermal patches, comprising (A) a (meth)acrylic acid-base polymer having repeating units represented by formulae (1) and (2): (wherein R1 and R2 each independently represents a hydrogen atom or a methyl group and M represents NH4+ or an alkali metal) with the ratio of (1)/(2) being in a range of 100/0 to 90/10 (by mol), (B) water, (C) a polyhydric alcohol and (D) an aluminum compound, with the content of (B) water being from 5 to 30 mass %; and a production process thereof. The adhesive composition for dermal patch of the present invention can contain a large amount of polyhydric alcohol between skeletons of the adhesive layer and forms a stable between skeletons of the adhesive layer and forms a stable base material free from syneresis of the polyhydric alcohol. Furthermore, the dermal patch using the adhesive composition for dermal patch of the present invention is excellent in the release property and adherence and has high safety.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus comprises one holding component which holds two or more prisms and an image pickup element. As for the holding component, a prism holding portion and an image pickup element holding portion are formed in one component. At the prism holding portion, an opening is formed. At the image pickup element, the image pickup element holding portion is fixed. Each prism is fixed to the holding component from the both sides of the holding component by fitting a projected portion into a penetration hole, respectively.

Abstract: The decentering optical system comprises a decentering prism and a holding component. The decentering prism has two or more positioning portions at positions which sandwich an effective diameter of an optically functional surface held by the holding component. The holding component has a holding portion of positioning portions corresponding to the positioning portions of the decentering prism. Furthermore, on the optically functional surface of the decentering prism, two and more projected portions are arranged at a position which sandwich the effective diameter of the optically functional surface and is located at the outside of the positioning portion, and a projected portion is located inside of the positioning portion. The decentering prism is fixed for positioning at the holding component through the positioning portion, the holding portion of the positioning portion and the projected portions.

Abstract: An image pickup optical system includes, in order from the object side, a front unit having at least one reflecting surface with power that is rotationally asymmetrical, an aperture stop, and a rear unit having at least one reflecting surface with power that is rotationally asymmetrical. In this case, F-numbers in two directions perpendicular to each other on a plane perpendicular to the optical axis are different. Decentration takes place in one of the two directions and the F-number in a direction perpendicular to a decentering direction is smaller than that in the decentering direction. When the F-number in the decentering direction is represented by FNY and the F-number in the direction perpendicular to the decentering direction is represented by FNX, the optical system satisfies the following condition: 1.1<FNY/FNX<2.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element including a stack of first, second and third optical regions or a stack of first, second, third and fourth optical regions, a first relief pattern formed between the first and second optical regions, and a second relief patterns formed between the second and third or between the third and fourth optical regions. The first and second relief patterns have substantially identical pitch distributions and are substantially aligned in a direction of an optical axis. Depths of the first and second relief patterns are set such that a wavelength dependency of diffraction efficiency can be decreased over a wavelength range to be used. It is possible to manufacture in a simple manner at a low cost a diffractive optical element in which undesired flare and ghost are suppressed.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element including a stack of first, second and third optical regions or a stack of first, second, third and fourth optical regions, a first relief pattern formed between the first and second optical regions, and a second relief pattern formed between the second and third or between the third and fourth optical regions. The first and second relief patterns have substantially identical pitch distributions and are substantially aligned in a direction of an optical axis. Depths of the first and second relief patterns are set such that a wavelength dependency of diffraction efficiency can be decreased over a wavelength range to be used. It is possible to manufacture in a simple manner at a low cost a diffractive optical element in which undesired flares and ghosts are suppressed.

Abstract: An optical system including a diffraction optical element and for forming an image of an object by light having a given wavelength width includes at least one diffraction optical element and a diffraction light selection element for transmitting a diffraction light of given order to an output side of the diffraction optical element and for attenuating the diffraction light of orders other than the given order.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of easily and quantitatively determining the diffraction efficiency of a relief type diffraction optical element, and provides a method of designing an optical system comprising a diffractive optical element using diffraction efficiency as at least one estimation index. The diffractive optical element is a transmission blaze grating constructed of a relief having a sawtooth shape in section. The transmission blaze grating having a side wall substantially vertical to a grating surface. The estimation index is given by a predetermined mathematical expression including at least a phase difference due to a relief discontinuity and shadow effects thereof. The mathematical expression includes as the shadow effects of said discontinuity at least a light attenuation effect dependent on an angle-of-incidence and a light attenuation effect independent on the angle-of incidence in a separate manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of easily and quantitatively determining the diffraction efficiency of a relief type diffraction optical element, and provides a method of designing an optical system comprising a diffractive optical element using diffraction efficiency as at least one estimation index. The diffractive optical element is a transmission blaze grating constructed of a relief having a sawtooth shape in section. The transmission blaze grating having a side wall substantially vertical to a grating surface. The estimation index is given by a predetermined mathematical expression including at least a phase difference due to a relief discontinuity and shadow effects thereof. The mathematical expression includes as the shadow effects of said discontinuity at least a light attenuation effect dependent on an angle-of-incidence and a light attenuation effect independent on the angle-of-incidence in a separate manner.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of easily and quantitatively determining the diffraction efficiency of a relief type diffraction optical element, and provides a method of designing an optical system comprising a diffractive optical element using diffraction efficiency as at least one estimation index. The diffractive optical element is a transmission blaze grating constructed of a relief having a sawtooth shape in section. The transmission blaze grating having a side wall substantially vertical to a grating surface. The estimation index is given by a predetermined mathematical expression including at least a phase difference due to a relief discontinuity and shadow effects thereof. The mathematical expression includes as the shadow effects of said discontinuity at least a light attenuation effect dependent on an angle-of-incidence and a light attenuation effect independent on the angle-of-incidence in a separate manner.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for producing a golf club shaft made of a fiber-reinforced resin which includes the steps of rotating a shaft substrate made of an uncured fiber-reinforced resin on the axis thereof, moving a plurality of creel stands in parallel in the axial direction of the shaft substrate, and feeding out tapes from a plurality of the creel stands and winding and laminating the tapes simultaneously and spirally on the outermost layer of the shaft substrate for integrally molding them while the rotating speed of the shaft substrate and the moving speed of the creel stands are being controlled simultaneously.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element including a stack of first, second and third optical regions or a stack of first, second, third and fourth optical regions, a first relief pattern formed between the first and second optical regions, and a second relief pattern formed between the second and third or between the third and fourth optical regions. The first and second relief patterns have substantially identical pitch distributions and are substantially aligned in a direction of an optical axis. Depths of the first and second relief patterns are set such that a wavelength dependency of diffraction efficiency can be decreased over a wavelength range to be used. It is possible to manufacture in a simple manner at a low cost a diffractive optical element in which undesired flares and ghosts are suppressed.

Abstract: A hydraulic pump including a pressure chamber, a drain passage communicable with the pressure chamber, a delivery port, a discharge path fluidly connecting the pressure chamber with the delivery port, and an orifice disposed in the discharge path. A first flow control valve is provided for variably controlling fluid communication between the pressure chamber and the drain passage in response to a difference between fluid pressures upstream and downstream of the orifice. A second flow control valve is disposed within the discharge path, which is operative to variably control an opening area of the orifice in response to energy of fluid passing through the discharge path. The second flow control valve includes a moveable spool exposed to a fluid pressure within the pressure chamber, a spring biasing the spool in such one direction as to increase the opening area of the orifice, and a spring retainer cooperating with the spool to define a spring chamber accommodating the spring.

Abstract: The multilayer microelectronic circuit comprises a main capacitor dielectric layer, a main capacitor first electrode disposed on one of opposite sides of the main capacitor dielectric layer, a main capacitor second electrode disposed on the other of the opposite sides of the main capacitor dielectric layer in a way as to oppose the main capacitor first electrode through the main capacitor dielectric layer, a first trimming capacitor dielectric layer disposed on a side of the main capacitor first electrode opposite to the main capacitor dielectric layer, a first trimming capacitor electrode disposed on a side of the first trimming capacitor dielectric layer opposite to the main capacitor first electrode in a way as to oppose the main capacitor first electrode through the first trimming capacitor dielectric layer, a second trimming capacitor dielectric layer disposed on a side of the first trimming capacitor electrode opposite to the first trimming capacitor dielectric layer, and a second trimming capacitor ele

Abstract: A multilayer microelectronic circuit to be directly mounted on a substrate and to be used, for example, as a resonator. The multilayer microelectronic circuit comprises a plurality of dielectric layers and patterned electrodes which are laminated one upon another to form a laminated structure, the dielectric layers and the patterned electrodes forming an electrical circuit. The laminated structure has side surfaces extending along a direction in which the dielectric layers and the patterned electrodes are laminated. An input line is formed at one of the side surfaces and connected with an input section of the electrical circuit. An output line is formed at one of the side surfaces and connected with an output section of the electrical circuit. A grounding line is formed at one of the side surfaces and connected with a grounding section of the electrical circuit. Additionally, a signal line formed at one of the side surfaces, for connecting sections of the electrical circuit.

Abstract: A liquid-absorbing material composition containing a crosslinking agent (component A), N-vinylcarboxamide copolymer (component B) having a functional group capable of crosslinking with the component A, water (component C), a water-soluble organic solvent (component D) and a plasticizer (component E), a molded liquid-absorbing material prepared from the composition, a method of manufacturing the molded liquid-absorbing material, and uses thereof are provided. The liquid-absorbing material composition has a high flowability, and gives a uniform continuous layer so that it can be directly molded readily into film- or sheet-shaped molded liquid-absorbing material without requiring secondary processing as in the case of conventional water-absorbing polymer.

Abstract: An osteoporosis diagnosis yapparatus provided with a two-dimensional ultrasonic transducer array (3) comprising a number of cells (1.sub.1, 1.sub.2, . . . ). The ultrasonic transducer array (3) is applied to the skin covering a predetermined bone of a subject, and the individual cells sequentially emit a predetermined number of ultrasonic pulses through the skin while receiving echoes from the bone. The received echo data are processed so that they can be handled in a planewave problem, from which the information on the reflection from the bone is determined. This information is processed to obtain the acoustic impedance of a cortical bone and a cancellous bone, so as to check for the presence of osteoporosis. The information on the reflection from the bone can also be handled as an eigen-value problem, and, when the information is handled in such a manner, the shape determination of a bone becomes un necessary.

Abstract: A production method of a golf club shaft made of a fiber-reinforced resin according to the present invention comprises the steps of driving and rotating a shaft substrate made of an uncured fiber-reinforced resin on the axis thereof, moving a plurality of creel stands in parallel in the axial direction of the shaft substrate, and feeding out tapes from a plurality of the creel stands and winding and laminating the tapes simultaneously and spirally on the outermost layer of the shaft substrate for integrally molding them while the rotating speed of the shaft substrate and the moving speed of the creel stands are being controlled simultaneously.

Abstract: A diffractive optical element including a first layer made of a first optical material having high refractive index and low dispersion, and a second layer made of a second optical material having low refractive index and high dispersion. The first and second layers are stacked together. The outer surfaces of the first and second layers are substantially smooth, while the connecting surfaces of the first and second layers are substantially contoured to follow a relief pattern. To satisfy a preferred operating wavelength range of 400 nm to 700 nm, a glass selected from the group consisting of BSM7, BSM81, BSL7, BAL5, BAL50, BAL22, LAL11, LAL12, LAL18, YGH51, LAH57 and LAH75 may be used as the first optical material, and a silicate glass containing certain amounts (e.g., 2 to 25 mol %) of Tl.sub.2 O may be used as the second optical material.