Abstract: A system is provided for automatically producing a temporally processed image which includes a storage unit which stores thereon a plurality of radiographic images, the plurality of radiographic images being taken at different points of time. The system is provided with an image input unit for capturing a new radiographic image so as to store the captured new radiographic image on the storage unit and an automatic maintenance control unit for automatically producing, in response to the capture of the new radiographic image, information specifying a predetermined number of pairs of the radiographic images. The specified pairs of the radiographic images includes the captured radiographic image. The system is further provided with an automatic producing unit for automatically producing a specified number of temporally processed images according to the information produced by the automatic maintenance control unit.

Abstract: A hands-free device includes a communication unit that obtains a Media Access Control (MAC) address of a portable terminal device from the portable terminal device, and an address storing unit that registers one of the MAC addresses that is obtained by the communication unit into the address storing unit itself in response to a registration trigger signal. The hands-free device also includes a control unit that reads the registered MAC address from the address storing unit and specifies a portable terminal device having the read registered address as a communication target device in response to a search trigger signal.

Abstract: A metal catalyst carrier has a core comprising a corrugated sheet and a flat sheet with a plurality of slots in a shape elongated in a direction perpendicular to a cell passage direction. The slots are formed before a sheet metal is corrugated and have a predetermined interval apart from one another. The plural slots disposed along the direction perpendicular to the cell passage direction are arranged to form a plurality of slot arrays arranged in the cell passage direction, and an interval Y in the cell passage direction and an interval X in the direction perpendicular to the cell passage direction, between the opening peripheral edge portions of the slots adjacent to each other in the slot arrays adjacent to each other, are set under the conditions satisfying X?0 mm and X??(5/2)Y+10 mm, thereby preventing the occurrence of distortions and cracks in the process of corrugating the sheet metal.

Abstract: A novel fused bicyclic pyridine derivative or a salt thereof that acts as a tachykinin receptor antagonist, in particular as an NK1 receptor antagonist, is represented by the following general formula (1): wherein the rings A and B are each a benzene ring which may have 1 to 3 substituents (any adjacent two of which may be bound to one another to form a ring); the ring C is a nitrogen-containing ring having a hydrogen atom substituted with a nitrogen atom; R1 and R2 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a C1 to C6 alkyl group, a C1 to C6 alkylsulfonyl group, a C1 to C6 alkylcarbonyl group, or a C1 to C6 alkoxycarbonyl group, or R1 and R2 are bound to one another to form the ring D; m is 1 or 2; n is 2 or 3; and q is an integer from 1 to 4.

Abstract: A process for producing an optical element which has excellent heat resistance and adhesion to a substrate. This process comprises applying a liquid composition for forming an optical element to the molding surface of a substrate having a regular pattern surface consisting of areas having high wettability and areas having low wettability as the molding surface and curing the composition to form projections in the areas having high wettability. A solution containing at least one compound selected from the group consisting of a hydrolyzable compound which can be hydrolyzed and polycondensed and a hydrolyzed/polycondensed product thereof is used as the liquid composition for forming an optical element.

Abstract: Sensor(s) may be such that light-projecting component(s) and light-receiving component(s) are arranged therein. Furthermore, such sensor(s) may be provided with optical path varying means for varying projected light optical path(s) and/or received light optical path(s) so as to physically vary overlapping zone(s) in which the projected light optical path(s) and the received light optical path(s) at least partially overlap. The optical path varying means may carry out adjustment of optical sensitivity by increasing the extent(s) of the overlapping zone(s) when carrying out detection with respect to zone(s) distant from such sensor(s) and/or decreasing the extent(s) of the overlapping zone(s) when carrying out detection with respect to zone(s) proximate to such sensor(s).

Abstract: A disc drive device optimally controls a speed for reading RTR-format data, such as video and audio, recorded on a DVD-format disc, thereby enabling real-time playback without interruption. In the disc drive device, information added to each sector is used for determining whether data is RTR-format data. When an error occurs at high-speed reading of RTR-format data and therefore the reading speed is changed to a low speed, the reading speed is so controlled as to be kept at the low speed for reading the following RTR-format data. Thus, for RTR-format data, overhead due to repetitive acceleration and deceleration processes can be avoided, and reading can be carried out without interfering with real-time playback. For normal data, reading can be carried out in a manner similar to that in the background art.

Abstract: Tilt which is inclination of a normal of optical disk relative to optical axis of optical head is corrected with a liquid crystal element. In a driver for the liquid crystal element, a periodic waveform generator generates periodic waveform and an inverting element inverts the periodic waveform. The periodic waveform and the inverted waveform are connected to two ends of a potential divider which provides partial voltages. The periodic waveform is connected to a common electrode of the liquid crystal element, and the partial voltages of the potential divider are connected to electrodes opposing the common electrode. A structure of a driver circuit for each direction is simple. Tilt in a plurality of directions can be performed independently of each other. Spherical aberration is also corrected. When the liquid crystal element is mounted to a fixed component, deterioration due to jitters is reduced.

Abstract: An interference signal removal system includes interference signal estimating means for estimating an interference signal contained in a received signal based on the received signal and a result obtained by removing an interference signal from the received signal, interference signal removing means for removing from the received signal the interference signal estimated by the interference signal estimating means; and interference signal estimation controlling means for storing the interference signal estimation result of the interference signal estimating means in memory and controlling the interference signal estimation by the interference signal estimating means so as to estimate an interference signal contained in the received signal based on a past interference signal estimation result stored in memory.

Abstract: A carrier for microorganism incubation of a diffusion type in which microelements and inorganic nutrient salts which are useful in proliferation of microorganism are included in a porous material is provided. This carrier may be employed in a bioreactor for treatment of waste water where high activity and high density of the microorganism is desired.

Abstract: The present invention provides an automatic paper feed apparatus which can reliably prevent papers from being discharged in an overlapped state in spite of simple construction. The automatic paper feed apparatus comprises a paper feed roller for automatically feeding a plurality of papers in order from an uppermost one, with the plurality of papers being contained in a cassette in a stacked state. A holding member having flexibility is provided so that the holding member comes into contact with the uppermost paper to generate a friction force that is weaker than that between the paper feed roller and the uppermost paper.

Abstract: A video decoder is connected with a block distortion detector for specifying the boundary of blocks where block boundary occurs, using decoded image data and information of motion vectors, which are supplied from the video decoder; and a block distortion remover for subjecting pixels in the vicinity of the block boundary of the decoded image to filtering on the basis of the result of detection from the block distortion detector, thereby removing the block distortion. Therefore, block distortion is accurately detected when a compressed and coded image is decoded, and the detected block distortion is removed while minimizing the blurriness of the image.

Abstract: Disclosed are compounds represented by formula (I) which have triglyceride biosynthesis inhibitory activity in the liver and inhibitory activity against the secretion of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoprotein from the liver and particularly have excellent inhibitory activity against the secretion of apolipoprotein B-containing lipoprotein, are free from side effect of accumulation of lipids in the liver, and are useful for the treatment and prevention of hyperlipidemia and arteriosclerotic diseases.

Abstract: A transmitter is capable of compressing an incoming image with a relatively small delay time and transmit the compressed image data to a receiver. Image data contains at least i pixel values of pixels arranged in line along a single direction, each pixel value being expressed in n bits. A transmitter for compressing such image data and transmitting the image data to a receiver via a transmission path includes a blocking section, a data compression section, and a data sending section. The blocking section takes every p pixel values among the i pixel values in the image data to form a data block, and sequentially outputs a plurality of the data blocks each including the p pixel values. The data compression section reduces an amount of data from each data block outputted from the blocking section and thereby outputs a compressed block. The data sending section sends the compressed block outputted from the data compression section onto the transmission path.

Abstract: An automatic controlling apparatus of a boarding bridge to match a position of the boarding bridge with an airplane, includes: a light irradiator, an optical sensor, and an actuator. The light irradiator irradiates a light to the airplane. The optical sensor can detect a reflection wave of the light reflected from the airplane. The actuator moves the boarding bridge such that a position of the boarding bridge is matched with the airplane, based on a detection result of the reflection wave detected by the optical sensor.

Abstract: An in-vehicle information apparatus presents, to a user, information which includes a returning route. The apparatus includes: a home position holding unit for holding beforehand a position of the user's home; a home arrival time holding unit for holding beforehand the user's home arrival time; a present position obtainment unit for obtaining the user's present position; a present time obtainment unit for obtaining a present time; a route search unit for obtaining a returning route from the present position to the user's home position, a required time for the returning route, and a departure time to leave the present position so the user can get home by the home arrival time; and a presentation unit for comparing the obtained departure time and the present time, and presenting to the user the departure time and the returning route obtained by the route search unit, before the departure time is passed.

Abstract: There are provided a recognition device, a wafer turning member, a turning device, and a control device. A first detection point for recognition and a second detection point for recognition are recognized, on the basis of the result of which a semiconductor wafer is turned to correct the inclination of ICs on the semiconductor wafer. As a result, the recognition operation for detecting the inclination of the ICs when a position of the ICs is to be recognized for bump formation is eliminated. The number of times the recognition is performed is reduced in comparison with the conventional art, so that the productivity can be improved.

Abstract: By allowing serum or plasma samples collected from humans to react with laminin-1 or a fragment thereof, and then determining whether or not anti-laminin-1 antibody, an auto-antibody against laminin-1, in the sample bound to laminin-1 to detect anti-laminin-1 antibody in the sample, gynecology-related diseases such as habitual abortion, sterility, infertility, and endometriosis can be diagnosed.