Abstract: An image display apparatus and method constantly maintain a desired image formation state on a retina. The apparatus includes a laser light source for emitting laser light, a focus position adjustment section for adjusting a focus position of the laser light, and a scanning section for scanning an area by using the adjusted laser light as scanning light. The apparatus also includes a light deflection section for leading the scanning light to a user's cornea, a light detection section having an optically conjugate relation with the cornea surface through the light deflection section, for detecting a part the scanning light reflected on the cornea surface and generating a detection signal, and a control section. The control section controls the focus position adjustment section to adjust the focus position of the laser light such that the detection signal agrees with an initial setting signal.

Abstract: A planar illumination device includes an optical element outputting a diffusing light from a laser light source into an incident edge surface of a light guide plate. The optical element provides an output substantially parallel to a thickness direction of the light guide plate. A light deflecting unit, including a plurality of deflectors, is provided on a principal surface of the light guide plate for deflecting incident laser light towards an output surface of the light guide. The light deflecting unit is arranged such that a degree of deflection of the light incident on the light guide plate differs according to positions in the light guide plate, to make an amount of light outputted from the output surface uniform across such output surface.

Abstract: The invention provides block copolymers formed of poly(ethylene glycol) segments and poly(amino acid derivative) segments having side chains of at least one kind of specific amine residue. The invention also provides polyion complexes of such copolymers with polynucleotides and the like. These block copolymers are useful as carriers for in vivo delivery of active substances such as DNA.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic agent for substance dependence, which prevents relapse/recurrence of compulsive substance-taking behavior based on craving for addictive substances such as stimulant substances, opioids, barbiturate type anesthetics, hallucinogens, cocaine, hemp, cannabis, alcohol, or volatile organic solvents. (?)-1-(Benzofuran-2-yl)-2-propylaminopentane or a pharmacologically acceptable acid addition salt thereof is useful as a therapeutic agent for substance dependence, which prevents relapse/recurrence of compulsive substance-taking behavior associated with craving for addictive substances.

Abstract: In a screen device, a pair of vertical rails 24 arranged on the front and back sides of a screen 8 so as to oppose to each other are connected by connecting members 30 and are fixed between a pair of sliding guide frames 10a and 10b with the intermediary of the screen. The connected vertical rails are integrally slidable in the direction parallel to the direction of sliding movement of a screen mounting frame, so that the screen is restrained from being deflected even when it receives a wind pressure in the closed state when the width in the opening and closing direction is large.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a phytotoxicity controlling agent usable as a herbicide for upland farming, which exerts a sufficient herbicidal effect on weeds growing together with upland crops, for example, wheat, rye, barley, oat, corn, sorghum, cotton, soybean, adzuki bean, oilseed rape, beet, upland rice and so on but causes no phytotoxic phenomenon (for example, growth inhibition, growth suppression, tiller inhibition or yellowing) in cultivated plants, comprising a nuclear-substituted benzoic acid represented by the following general formula: wherein R1 represents linear or branched C4-15 alkyl; a salt thereof or an alkyl ester thereof.

Abstract: The invention offers an improvement in a process for start-up in the occasion of producing acrylic acid by catalytically oxidizing acrolein at vapor phase under high load conditions, the start-up meaning the step of increasing the acrolein supply rate (loading) from the non-reacting condition to the prescribed reaction conditions. This process is characterized in that the acrolein supply rate is increased in the start-up stage of the reaction until the prescribed composition of starting reactant gas and the flow rate of the starting reactant gas are obtained, while adjusting at least one of the reaction temperature, the composition of the starting reactant gas and the flow rate of the starting reactant gas, so as to maintain the acrolein conversion at not lower than 90 mol %, the maximum peak temperature of the catalyst layer in each reaction zone at no higher than 400° C.

Abstract: A plating apparatus has a steam treatment chamber configured to perform a steam treatment using steam on a surface of a substrate, and a plating chamber configured to plate the surface of the substrate subjected to the steam treatment. The plating apparatus also has an acid treatment chamber configured to bring the surface of the substrate subjected to the steam treatment into contact with an acid liquid. The plating apparatus includes a frame housing the steam treatment chamber, the acid treatment chamber, and the plating chamber.

Abstract: A method of controlling a moisture resistance of polyglycolic acid resin, by controlling a total carboxyl group-source concentration including a contribution of residual glycolide. As a result, a moisture resistance governing the change of strength with time of the polyglycolic acid resin is controlled at a good accuracy.

Abstract: Disclosed is an adeno-associated virus vector capable of expressing a peptide fragment containing a humoral immunity induction site of the ?-amyloid peptide, comprising DNA encoding the peptide fragment in an operative form.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound represented by the formula (I): wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, or a salt thereof. The compound of the present invention has a glucokinase activity, and is useful as a medicament such as an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes, obesity and the like, and the like.

Abstract: To extract and detect Bursaphelenchus xylophilus DNA without isolating Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from a piece of wood taken from a tree belonging to the genus Pinus and the like, provided are a method for extracting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus DNA from a collected piece of wood that includes Bursaphelenchus xylophilus, a LAMP primer set including primers that anneal to a specific region of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus DNA, and a method for detecting Bursaphelenchus xylophilus from a piece of wood by amplifying a DNA by a LAMP method using this primer set.

Abstract: A wireless blood glucose meter is a battery-powered apparatus to communicating wirelessly with a portable terminal, and includes a blood glucose level detector that measures a blood glucose level, a transmitter that transmits the blood glucose level measured by the blood glucose level detector to the portable terminal, a receiver that receives a response signal sent from the portable terminal in response to the transmission of the blood glucose level by the transmitter to the portable terminal, and a voltage monitor that monitors the output voltage of the battery. A transmission control circuit changes the transmission method used by the transmitter on the basis of the output voltage of the battery as detected by the voltage monitor.

Abstract: The present invention is provided with a reaction apparatus (12) that supplies carbon raw material (11) and fine particles (50) to cause carbon nanofibers to grow on surfaces of the fine particles (50), a heating apparatus (20) that heats the reaction apparatus 12, a recovery line (23) that recovers fine particles on which the carbon nanofibers have grown from the reaction apparatus, and a carbon nanofiber separating apparatus (24) that separates carbon nanofibers (52) from the recovered fine particles on which carbon nanofibers have been grown.

Abstract: This invention provides an aligned single-layer carbon nanotube bulk structure, which comprises an assembly of a plurality of aligned single-layer carbon nanotube and has a height of not less than 10 ?m, and an aligned single-layer carbon nanotube bulk structure which comprises an assembly of a plurality of aligned single-layer carbon nanotubes and has been patterned in a predetermined form. This structure is produced by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of carbon nanotubes in the presence of a metal catalyst in a reaction atmosphere with an oxidizing agent, preferably water, added thereto. An aligned single-layer carbon nanotube bulk structure, which has realized high purify and significantly large scaled length or height, its production process and apparatus, and its applied products are provided.

Abstract: A micro-switching element provided with a first electrode 4 containing an ionic conductor and a second electrode 5 composed of an electric conductor, wherein the first electrode 4 and the second electrode 5 are physically and electrically connected to each other through deposition of a metal ion from the ionic conductor, and wherein a photoresponsive film 9 that receives light to generate a carrier is disposed between the first electrode 4 and the second electrode 5 to fill up the space between the electrodes. Accordingly, a micro-switching element is provided of which the characteristic fluctuation is small and which hardly produces a problem of operation failure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-flammable refrigerant, which is excellent in handleability while retaining the refrigerating capacity. Specifically, the present invention relates to a refrigerant composition comprising 36 to 50 mass % of 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC134a) and 50 to 64 mass % of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoropropene (HFO1234yf).

Abstract: Whether or not underflow is being occurred or underflow is highly likely to occur is judged based on an image encoded data amount in a reception buffer at a time of the judgment or a change in the image encoded data amount with time. When the judgment is affirmative, a composite image data piece corresponding to one frame is generated by extracting an image data piece in the frame memory, decoding part of an image encoded data piece in the reception buffer and replacing part of the extracted the image data piece with the decoded part of the image encoded data piece. Composite image data pieces are repeatedly generated such that an occupancy ratio of replaced part of the image data piece increases each time a piece of the composite image data is newly generated, and the composite image data pieces are outputted in order of generation.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a transmission system that is more suitable for transmission of a large volume of data than a cable or an optical fiber is and capable of coupling a transmission path and an electronic device easily without using a connector. A tape-form communication sheet is configured by a sheet body, plural coupling nodes regularly arranged in line and fitted in the sheet body, and a signal transmission wiring, wherein an interface of a computer having the interface similar to this coupling node is connected to the coupling node of the tape-form communication sheet for transmitting a signal. The coupling nodes are configured by an arrayed antenna and a communication circuit unit including a signal In/Out unit, a memory, a signal reception/output unit, and a CPU connected to the signal In/Out unit, the memory, and the signal reception/output unit, wherein the signal transmission wiring is connected to the signal In/Out unit of the respective coupling nodes.

Abstract: To provide a playback device that plays back a content recorded in an optical disc in conjunction with execution of an application supplied by a server. The playback device includes a disc region code detection unit operable to detect a region code from the optical disc; an application region code estimation unit operable to estimate a region code assigned to the application based on an address of the server; a restriction unit operable, if a region code assigned to the playback device, the region code detected from the optical disc, and the estimated region code assigned to the application do not match each other, to restrict the playback of the content in conjunction with the execution of the application.