Abstract: A mode-locked laser device includes a Fabry-Perot resonator, a mode-locking element disposed within the resonator, a solid-state laser medium disposed within the resonator, and exciting means for applying excitation light to the solid-state laser medium. The opposite ends of the resonator, the mode-locking element and the solid-state laser medium are disposed to provide an average beam diameter of lasing light of not more than 150 ?m on the mode-locking element and an average beam diameter of the lasing light of not more than 200 ?m within the solid-state laser medium.

Abstract: Disclosed are a multi-level differential amplifier that includes first to third input terminals; an output terminal; first to third differential pairs; a current source circuit for supplying currents to the respective first to mth differential pairs; a load circuit connected to first and second nodes to which first and second outputs of each of output pairs of the first to third differential pairs are connected in common; an amplifier stage receiving a signal from at least one node of the first and second nodes as an input and having its output connected to the output terminal; and a capacitance element. A data output period includes first and second periods.

Abstract: A hollow golf club head includes a face part, a crown part, a sole part, a side part, and a hosel part. The head has a volume of 300 to 460 cm3 and a weight of 175 to 220 g. The crown part includes a large-thickness crown part formed along an overall edge thereof, and a small-thickness crown part which is formed inside the large-thickness crown part and has a thickness less than a thickness of the large-thickness crown part. The side part includes a heel-side small-thickness side part formed at a heel side, a toe-side small-thickness side part formed at a toe side, and a large-thickness side part which is formed at a portion of the side part other than the heel-side small-thickness side part and the toe-side small-thickness side part and has a thickness greater than thickness of the side parts.

Abstract: A fuse detection method for reading out a program state of each fuse and generating a killer signal indicating the program state of the fuse; counting the program state indicated by the killer signal to obtain a count value; inputting an expected value for the program state of the fuse; and determining whether the count value coincides with the expected value by comparing the count value with the expected value.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator having a frame portion includes a drive shaft for frictional engagement with an engageable barrel arm of a lens unit. First and second piezoelectric elements are supported on the frame portion, and provided with first and second ends of respectively the drive shaft. A drive pulse generator supplies the piezoelectric elements with a drive signal to expand or contract the piezoelectric elements, and moves the engageable barrel arm in an axial direction by an alternately repeating sequence of shifting the drive shaft at low and high speeds in the axial direction. In the shifting at the high speed, the piezoelectric elements shift the drive shaft in a backward direction quickly, to move the drive shaft in the backward direction relative to the engageable barrel arm being stationary with inertial force.

Abstract: Provided are a data management apparatus and method used for a flash memory, which can guarantee predetermined response time by expecting when a user will receive a response to his or her request for performing a data operation on the flash memory. The data management apparatus includes an operation determination unit which determines operations required for performing a data operation on a flash memory, the data operation being requested by a user using a user program, an operation registration unit with which an operation list including the operations determined to be required for performing the requested data operation on the flash memory is registered, and an operation processing unit which selects one of the operations included in the operation list registered with the operation registration unit and performs the selected operation.

Abstract: A sintered body electrode for a sintered body electrode capacitor, which enables production of a solid electrolytic capacitor having a good capacitance appearance factor, including at least one member selected from an earth-acid metal, an alloy mainly comprising an earth-acid metal, an electrically conducting oxide of an earth-acid metal, and a mixture of two or more thereof. The value (pseudo-closed porosity) obtained by dividing the difference between the volume of a sintered body measured under atmospheric pressure and the volume measured in a vacuum, which are determined according to the Archimedes method, by the volume measured under atmospheric pressure is 11% or less. Also disclosed is a solid electrolytic element using the sintered body, a solid electrolytic capacitor using the element and use of the solid electrolytic capacitor.

Abstract: A base material (20) is arranged on top of at least one first internal layer base material (10), and a second internal base material (30) is arranged underneath the base material (10). And thereafter a surface layer circuitry conductive foil (40) is arranged underneath the base material (30), and subsequently these materials are colaminated for forming a colaminated body (80). While this colaminating operation, conductive portions being formed in the base materials 10, 30 are aligned to electrically connect one another for forming an internal circuitry. And thereafter, an interlayer conductive portion (51) being electrically connected to the internal circuitry is formed, and a minute circuitry is formed on the top of the base material (20) and the conductive foil (40) accordingly.

Abstract: An apparatus for storing predetermined multimedia information is provided. The apparatus includes a telephony platform and a storage location coupled to the telephony platform. The storage location stores predetermined multimedia information corresponding to a plurality of predetermined information tracks, and the telephony platform receives at least one multimedia command from an access device of a user. The multimedia command enables the user to access a service of the apparatus relating to a particular information track of the predetermined information tracks. Also, the telephony platform charges the user a fee for accessing the service.

Abstract: There is provided a gas sensor for measuring the concentration of a specific gas component in a gas under measurement, including a gas diffusion rate limiting portion, a measurement chamber communicating with an atmosphere of the gas under measurement through the gas diffusion rate limiting portion, a sensor element having an ion-conductive layer with first and second surfaces, a first electrode disposed in contact with the first surface of the ion-conductive layer within the measurement chamber and a second electrode disposed in contact with the second surface of the ion-conductive layer and communicating exclusively with the atmosphere of the gas under measurement and a cylindrical support member installing therein the sensor element with the first and second surfaces of the ion-conductive layer directed toward front and base end sides of the support member, respectively.

Abstract: Bright and dark field imaging operations in an optical inspection system occur along substantially the same optical path using the same light source by producing either a circular or an annular laser beam. Multiple beam splitting is achieved through the use of a diffractive optical element having uniform diffraction efficiency. A confocal arrangement for bright field and dark field imaging can be applied with multiple beam scanning for suppressing the signal from under-layers. A scan direction not perpendicular to the direction of movement of a target provides for improved die-to-die comparisons.

Abstract: Disclosed is an improved method for preparing 15-keto-prostaglandin E derivative. According to the invention, the deprotection of protected hydroxy group required in manufacturing a 15-keto-prostaglandin derivative is conducted under the presence of a phosphoric acid compound.

Abstract: A light-sensitive silver halide grain containing at least one metal complex, wherein when an a-axis, a b-axis and a c-axis of a silver halide crystal lattice are each established taking as an origin a central metal of the metal complex incorporated into the silver halide grain, the metal complex has in a ligand thereof a site which can form any bond of a covalent bond, a dative bond and an ionic bond, or a bond in a mixed form of these bonds with a silver ion on a lattice point which does not exist on any of the a-axis, the b-axis and the c-axis. The silver halide photographic material has no reciprocity failure over a wide range of exposure illuminations without desensitization and decrease of contrast on the low intensity side.