Abstract: In encoding for putting one or more files and/or one or more files in a folder into a single archive file, original hierarchy information and standard hierarchy information generated by converting characters in a special character coding in each file name to characters in a standard character coding are recorded in the archive file. If the character coding used in the original hierarchy information in the archive file cannot be used in the system environment used in decoding, a file name in the standard character coding is generated from the standard hierarchy information and is converted to a character coding that can be used in the system environment.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a detection unit that detects the position of the leading edge of a medium in a sub-scanning direction, the detection unit being moved in a main-scanning direction at a speed identical to the speed of a carriage that moves in the main-scanning direction and discharges ink; a position acquisition unit that acquires the end position of the detection unit in the main-scanning direction when image formation on a first medium is completed; and a control unit that controls a leading edge detection position of the detection unit in the main-scanning direction according to a detection unit moving amount and a medium moving amount when the detection unit detects the leading edge of a second medium on which an image is formed after the image formation on the first medium.

Abstract: The present invention relates to membranes and to a process for making them. The membranes according to the invention comprise a sheetlike flexible substrate having a multiplicity of openings and having a coating on and in said substrate, the material of said substrate being selected from nonwovens of polymeric fibers, said nonwovens having a porosity of more than 50% and said coating being a porous ceramic coating, said substrate preferably being from 10 to 200 ?m in thickness. Such membranes provide a distinctly higher flux than conventional membranes. The membranes are useful as separators for batteries or as a microfiltration membrane.

Abstract: A remover contains an alkaline component, a bivalent zinc ion, a ferric ion, a chelating agent, and a nitrate ion. By using this remover, an anodized film can be selectively removed from an aluminum or aluminum-alloy member.

Abstract: A novel method for immunosuppressive in a mammal suffering from an immune disease, including administering to the mammal a therapeutically effective amount of a heterocyclic compound represented by the general formula (I) (wherein X or other variables are as defined in the specification) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is disclosed. A novel heterocyclic compound represented by the general formula (II) (wherein X or other variables are as defined in the specification) or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof is also disclosed.

Abstract: An information processing device is provided that includes a signal receiving portion, an absolute value conversion portion, and an input data decoding portion. The signal receiving portion receives a signal that is encoded such that mutually distinct first and second bit values are respectively expressed by pluralities of mutually distinct first amplitude values and second amplitude values, the first and second bit values also being encoded such that the same amplitude value does not occur twice in succession and such that the polarities of the amplitude values are inverted with each cycle. The absolute value conversion portion converts into absolute values the amplitude values of the signal that has been received by the signal receiving portion. The input data decoding portion decodes the first and second bit values based on the amplitude values in the signal that have been converted into absolute values by the absolute value conversion portion.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus according to the present invention includes an acquisition unit that obtains from a terminal device equipped with a display screen attribute information including information indicating the directionality of the display screen, a detection unit that detects the size of a input image, an adjustment unit that adjusts the size of the input image so as to align the direction along which the longer side of the input image extends with the direction along which the longer side of the display screen extends based upon the information indicating the directionality of the display screen included in the attribute information, and a transfer unit that transfers the input image with the adjusted size to the terminal device.

Abstract: A process corresponding to a reproduction time of data and an argument information is executed. When mark_time_stamp representing one reproduction time on a time axis of a play list, mark_type representing a type of Mark( ), and mark_type are of a type of an event that is generated, if a reproduction time of data reproduced corresponding to a play list containing PlayListMark( ) having Mark( ) including mark_data as an argument of the event matches mark_time_stamp, Mark( ) having mark_time_stamp is recognized at step S302. When mark_type of Mark( ) recognized represents a type in which the event is generated at step S307, mark_data of Mark( ) and occurrence of the event are notified at step S307. A process corresponding to mark_data is executed at step S308. The present invention can be applied to for example a game machine and so forth that use a DVD.

Abstract: A 3-dimensional diagnostic imaging system for acquiring and displaying 3-dimensional images includes an ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus configured to display any cross section of a 3-dimensional image extracted from volume data including an affected part of a subject; a 3-dimensional medical diagnostic imaging apparatus configured to display a cross section of a 3-dimensional image extracted from volume data obtained by medical diagnostic imaging modalities other than the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus, the cross section being substantially identical to the cross section displayed by the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus; and an image processing/display unit configured to synchronously display substantially identical cross sections of a plurality of 3-dimensional images from both the ultrasound diagnostic imaging apparatus and the 3-dimensional medical diagnostic imaging apparatus, or to synchronously display substantially identical cross sections of a plurality of 3-dimensional images

Abstract: A method and unit for noise reduction in a current image frame, wherein the current image frame is a part of a sequence of image frames. The method compares a current pixel value of a pixel within the current image frame with a corresponding pixel value of the pixel in at least one adjacent image frame, and determines a piled-up value of the current pixel value and the corresponding pixel value if a pixel difference between the current pixel value and the corresponding pixel value is below a pixel threshold, wherein the pixel threshold depends on the corresponding pixel value and/or the current pixel value. The method and unit can be applied for block and color processing as well.

Abstract: A surface-emission laser device comprises an active layer, cavity spacer layers provided at both sides of the active layer, reflection layers provided at respective sides of the cavity spacer layers, the reflection layers reflecting an oscillation light oscillated in the active layer and a selective oxidation layer. The selective oxidation layer is provided between a location in the reflection layer corresponding to a fourth period node of the standing wave distribution of the electric field of the oscillating light and a location in the reflection layer adjacent to the foregoing fourth period node in the direction away from the active layer and corresponding to an anti-node of the standing wave distribution of the electric field of the oscillation light.

Abstract: A media feeding apparatus that includes a media storage device, a blowing device, a media feeding member, and a media holding member, the media storage device storing media, the blowing device blowing toward side surface of the media, the media feeding device feeding the media sequentially, and the media holding member holding the media at a substantially same position as the media feeding device with respect to the media feeding direction.

Abstract: A negative electrode active material contains a metal-displaced lithium-titanium oxide of a ramsdellite structure expressed by the formula Li(16/7)?xTi(24/7)?yMyO8 (where M is at least one metal element selected from the group consisting of Nb, Ta, Mo, and W, and x and y are respectively numbers in the range of 0<x<16/7 and 0<y<24/7).

Abstract: Provided is a lubricating oil for continuously variable transmissions characterized by that used as a base oil are a synthetic oil I having the following properties: (a) a traction coefficient at 120° C. is 115% or more of that of 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2-methylpentane, (b) a viscosity at ?40° C. is not higher than a viscosity (260 Pa·s) of 2,4-dicyclohexyl-2-methylpentane, and (c) a viscosity index is 65 or higher, and a synthetic oil II having a viscosity of 1 Pa·s or lower at ?40° C. and that the above base oil has a specific property. The above lubricating oil is a lubricating oil for continuously variable transmissions which has a high traction coefficient even at high temperature and is endowed with a good low temperature fluidity and which is suited as a lubricating oil for continuously variable transmissions for automobiles.

Abstract: A semiconductor storage includes a receiver configured to receive a write request from a host device; a storage unit configured to hold redundancy data generation/non-generation information; a writing unit configured to write data in a semiconductor memory array and write redundancy data generation/non-generation information of the written data in the storage unit; a first data extracting unit configured to extract data whose redundancy data is not generated from among the data held by the semiconductor memory array; a first redundancy data generating unit configured to generate redundancy data; a first redundancy data writing unit configured to write the generated redundancy data in the semiconductor memory array; and a first redundancy data generation/non-generation information updating unit configured to update the redundancy data generation/non-generation information of the data whose redundancy data held by the storage unit is generated.

Abstract: A machine management method includes installing software in a machine including a security device that holds a secret key unextractable from the security device and a public key extractable from the security device, encrypts input data with the public key, and decrypts the input data with the secret key; storing machine identification information of the machine in association with software identification information of the software installed in the machine in an external management apparatus; creating a device-encryption key to encrypt data stored on a first storage device of the machine; storing a device-encryption-key BLOB obtained by encrypting the device-encryption key with the public key on a second storage device of the machine; and storing the device-encryption key in association with the machine identification information in the external management apparatus.

Abstract: A nonvolatile semiconductor storage device includes a memory core that includes plural banks, the bank including plural memory cells and a data write circuit that supplies a bias voltage to the memory cell, the memory core being logically divided into plural pages, the page including a predetermined number of memory cells belonging to a predetermined number of banks; and a control circuit that controls the data write circuit to perform page write in each write unit including a predetermined number of memory cells, pieces of data being written in the page in the page write, the control circuit performing the page write by repeating a step including a program operation and a verify operation, the control circuit performing the program operation and the verify operation in a next step or later only to the write unit in which the data write is not completed in the verify operation.

Abstract: A film formation method includes a film formation process for forming an SiO2 film on a surface of a target object inside a process container by use of an Si source gas and an oxidizing agent, and an oxidation purge process for performing oxidation on films deposited inside the process container while exhausting gas from inside the process container after unloading the target object from the process container, wherein the film formation process and the oxidation purge process are alternately repeated a plurality of times without, interposed therebetween, a process for removing the films deposited inside the process container.

Abstract: Method for purifying a solution of at least one plastic in a solvent, the said solution comprising insolubles, whereby the solution is purified using a centrifugal settler.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for preventing or ameliorating obesity, for inhibiting accumulation of visceral fat, for inhibiting accumulation of liver lipid, for preventing or ameliorating fatty liver, including using a material for a pharmaceutical product or food, which has inhibitory actions on body weight increase, accumulation of visceral fat and accumulation of liver lipid. The present invention is also directed to a method for preventing or ameliorating obesity, a method for inhibiting accumulation of visceral fat, a method for inhibiting accumulation of liver lipid, and a method for preventing or ameliorating fatty liver, which methods include administering potassium alginate to a subject in need thereof or having the subject take potassium alginate.