Abstract: An apparatus for evaluating digital picture quality, includes a SNR calculation module for calculating a SNR based upon differences between data of video picture to be evaluated and data of original video picture, a module for calculating a power of AC component of overall data of one of the video pictures in a frame, and a weighting module for weighting the calculated SNR based upon the calculated power of the AC component.

Abstract: A self-timing control circuit relating to the present invention comprises a clock cycle counting circuit for counting ocillation pulses during a period corresponding to a cycle of the master clock and generating a clock cycle count value. The count value for a period corresponding to the cycle of the master clock is calculated with this clock cycle counting circuit. The self-timing control circuit further comprises a control clock generating portion for generating the control clock, as timed by synchronizing with the master clock, starting a count of the oscillation pulses, and counting up to the clock cycle count value. As a result, the control clock generated is delayed from the master clock by the time taken to count to the measured count value. The timing of the control clock is delayed from the master clock by one cycle or an integer multiple thereof.

Abstract: A thermal printing apparatus has a pair of transporting rollers for transporting a medium to be printed, a head angle member which holds a thermal head at right angles to a direction of transporting the medium transported by the pair of transporting rollers and which is pivotally supported at one end thereof, and a device for pivoting the head angle member so as to move the thermal head towards and away from the medium. The apparatus further has a shaft moving device which moves a shaft for mounting thereon the head angle member depending on a thickness of the medium.

Abstract: A piezoelectric vibration device utilizes a thickness-shear vibration available for communication devices or the like. The piezoelectric vibration device has a structure wherein at least one of each peripheral zone of an input electrode (21) and an output electrode (22), or a common electrode (23), where the non-harmonic overtone mode is relatively strongly excited, is partially provided with either a weight reducing portion (231, 232) or a weight adding portion. Moreover, an area of the common electrode (23) is larger than a total area of the input electrode (21) and the output electrode (22), and either the weight reducing portion (231, 232) or the weight adding portion reaches the common electrode (23) opposed to the input electrode (21) and the output electrode (22). Preferably, the common electrode formed on one principal plane of a quartz plate (1) is twice to 10 times as thick as the input electrode (21) and the output electrode (22) formed on the other principal plane.

Abstract: A bleached pulp having a high brightness and a satisfactory pulp viscosity is produced from a lignocellulosic material with a high efficiency by subjecting an aqueous slurry of a pulp to a bleaching step including at least one stage in which the pulp is bleached with chlorine dioxide under a pressure of, for example, 0.0980 to 0.883 MPa (1.0 to 9.0 kg/cm2), created by a compressed gas, preferably at a pH of 2 to 5, at a temperature of 50 to 120° C. and in a pulp consistency of 5 to 40%.

Abstract: A sanitary-napkin-product manufacturing equipment comprises (i) a manufacturing machine of a sanitary napkin with wings and (ii) a wrapping machine 100 to apply slip-preventing adhesive, which comes easily off silicone coats, to the back of the sanitary napkin and wrap the sanitary napkin in a wrapping film, of which the inside is coated with silicone, to produce a sanitary napkin product. The manufacturing machine comprises a facing-sheet-adhesive applying unit, an absorbent-body cutout unit, a lining-sheet-adhesive applying unit, a sandwiching unit, a heat-sealing unit, and a sanitary-napkin cutout unit. The wrapping machine comprises a longitudinally folding unit, a slip-preventing-adhesive applying unit, an overlaying unit, a wing-folding unit, a hold-down-tape affixing unit, a film-sealing unit, and a cutting unit.

Abstract: A semiconductor light emitting device is disclosed. An emitting layer forming portion for forming an emitting layer made of a compound semiconductor of AlGaInP group or AlGaAs group including a n-type layer, an active layer and a p-type layer laid one on another is formed on a GaAs substrate. Further, a current diffusion layer of GaP is formed on the front surface of the emitting layer forming portion. The p-type layer between the active layer and the current diffusion layer is formed to the thickness of not less than about 2 &mgr;m, or the current diffusion layer is formed to the thickness of about 3 to 7 &mgr;m. As a result, the semiconductor light emitting device of a high luminance is thus realized, in which the distortion due to the lattice mismatch has no effect on the emitting layer.

Abstract: A loudspeaker has a frame, a magnetic circuit formed on the frame, a voice coil bobbin disposed in a magnetic gap of the magnetic circuit, and a diaphragm connected to the voice coil bobbin at an inner periphery and to the frame at an outer periphery thereof. The diaphragm is folded at a position between the inner and outer peripheries to form an annular ridge. The ridge is projected in an axially inner direction of the loudspeaker.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary cell having a rolled-up electrode unit housed in a cell can and comprising a positive electrode and a negative electrode each formed by coating a surface of a striplike current collector with an electrode material. According to a first embodiment, the current collector of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode comprises a plurality of current collector pieces 42 arranged along one direction and a PTC element 5 interconnecting each pair of adjacent current collector pieces 42. Alternatively with a second embodiment, at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode comprises a PTC element held between opposed faces of an uncoated portion of the current collector thereof and a base end portion of a current collector tab. The PTC element serves to prevent continuous occurrence of a current in excess of a predetermined value and realizes a high energy density.

Abstract: Integrally fastening a cylinder block 6 and a crankcase 7 together by dividing the cylinder block 6 and the crankcase 7 at a dividing surface 31 passing through the center of a crankshaft 15 vertically arranged and screwing a bolt 32 inserted from the crankcase 7 side in the cylinder block 6. The bolt 32 fastening the crankcase 7 to the cylinder block 6 is prevented from interfering with a pair of left and right secondary balancer shafts 37, 38 by supporting both the secondary balancer shafts by the cylinder block 6, but not by the crankcase 7 to increase the degree of freedom of the layout of both the secondary balancer shafts 37, 38.

Abstract: An extruding mechanism for a tubular bag and a method of extruding the contents of a tubular bag are provided, by which a sealing material or the like is extruded and discharged from a tubular bag with an extruding gun for a cartridge container, and which reduces the amount of discarded waste, thereby serving as one solution to environmental problems. The extruding mechanism includes an extruding gun having a holding base, and a stationary holding plate disposed on a front end portion of the holding base. The holding plate is provided with a notched portion opened upward. An extruding rod is equipped at its leading end with a pressing plate. A cylindrical member having a cylinder body is set on the holding base and accommodates the tubular bag and is opened at both ends, and a piston body is inserted into the cylinder body.

Abstract: A lumped element circulator having a plurality of operation bands, has a circulator element with a plurality of signal ports and a grounded terminal, and resonance circuits connected between the signal ports and the grounded terminal, respectively, each of the resonance circuits having a plurality of resonance points. The number of the operation bands is equal to the number of the resonance points of each of the resonance circuits.

Abstract: A process is provided for inhibiting serine proteases in a sample. The process involves adding to the sample a compound such as cresol or 3-hydroxypyridine and then adding to the sample a sulfonic acid derivative or a fluorophosphonate, to derivative the serine proteases. The compounds such as cresol or 3-hydroxypyridine avoid nonspecific derivatization of proteins other than the serine proteases.

Abstract: A resist removing apparatus for removing an unwanted resist pattern from a surface of wafer W by applying an adhesive tape to the surface of wafer W having the resist patterns formed thereon, and separating the adhesive tape from the surface of wafer W. The apparatus includes an adhesive removing mechanism 13 for treating the surface of wafer W after the adhesive tape is separated therefrom. The adhesive removing mechanism 13 may be effective when constructed to jet ozone to the surface of wafer W heated, to irradiate the surface of wafer W heated, with ultraviolet rays, or to jet ozone to the surface of wafer W heated and irradiate the surface with ultraviolet rays.

Abstract: A stopper 14 is arranged between a positioning piece 6 and a rear side locking pawl 13. When forward operation force is exerted on an operation grip from the outside, the stopper 14 is projected in the outside direction of the radius of a main body pipe 2 so as to allow the rear side locking pawl 13 to be locked. When the rear side locking pawl 13 is in the lock state, if the stopper 14 is pushed by other leg pipe 50B, it is retracted in the inside direction of the radius of the main body pipe 2 and allows the rear side locking pawl 13 to be removed rearward.

Abstract: In an image data producing system, a calculating unit determines an object movement data indicating movement of a dummy object based on indicators of the dummy object of a first image data of a scene where the dummy object is moving. A model data producing unit produces a second image data of an object model which has the same movement as that of the dummy object, based on the object movement data. A synthesizing unit synthesizes the third image data of the scene where the dummy object is not present and the second image data to produce a fourth image data of the scene in which the object model is moving.

Abstract: A transistor of a driver in the semiconductor integrated circuit according to the present invention has its gate connected to a controlling circuit, and has its drain connected to a sense amplifier. The controlling circuit supplies the gate of the transistor with a gate-to-source voltage exceeding or below other power supply voltages. The drain-to-source resistance of the transistor in the on state becomes sufficiently lower as compared with that in the case of supplying the power supply voltages between the gate and source of the transistor. Accordingly, the amplifying speed of the sense amplifier is heightened without altering the sense amplifier and the driver. Besides, the amplifying speed of the sense amplifier is heightened without raising the power supply voltage which supplies the carriers to the driver.

Abstract: A screenless vibratory separator consists of a trough, support assemblies, a vibrator, a blade and an adjuster for the blade. The trough having a flat bottom plate and two outlets is open, and is supported by the support assemblies. The vibrator is mounted on the trough. When operating, a mixture is stratified into an upper layer and a lower layer which are separated by the blade and are discharged respectively from the outlets.