Abstract: A patterned master carrier for magnetic transfer is used to transfer a magnetization pattern, which does not cause a problem such as an error attributable to a subpulse upon signal reproduction, to a slave medium. A signal pattern on a surface of a patterned master carrier for the magnetic transfer includes signal areas and no-signal areas, and the signal area is provided with an actual signal pattern and a dummy signal pattern adjacent to the no-signal area. Therefore, the actual signal pattern is not adjacent to the no-signal area.

Abstract: A surface plasmon resonance sensor unit includes a prism. A thin film has a first surface and a sensing surface. The first surface overlies the prism to constitute a thin film/prism interface. The sensing surface immobilizes a sample in sample fluid. Illuminating light is applied to the interface in a form satisfying a condition for total internal reflection, to create attenuated total reflection in the illuminating light reflected by the interface. An angle of incidence of the illuminating light upon the attenuated total reflection is changed upon (bio)chemical reaction of the sample on the sensing surface. The sensor unit includes an enclosing cover, secured to the prism, for covering the sensing surface. A lower recess is formed in the prism, and positioned at the sensing surface. The lower recess constitutes a flow channel for flow of the sample fluid on the sensing surface.

Abstract: A 4-aminopyridinium compound is represented by the formula (I) or (II). in which each of L1 and L3 is —O—CO—, —CO—O—, —C?C—, —CH?CH—, —CH?N—, —N?CH— or —N?N—; L2 is a single bond, —O—CO—, —CO—O—, —C?C—, —CH?CH—, —CH?N—, —N?CH— or —N?N—; m is 0 or 1; each of p and q is 1 to 10; each of R1 and R2 is an alkyl group or R1 and R2 are combined to form a ring; Z is cyano, an alkyl group, an alkoxy group, an acylalkyl group, an acylalkoxy group, an acyloxyalkyl group or an acyloxyalkoxy group; each of R3, R4 and R5 is a halogen atom; each of n1, n2 and n3 is 0 or 1; and X is an anion.

Abstract: The planographic printing plate precursor of the present invention comprises a support, and a hydrophilic layer disposed on the support and having a hydrophilic graft chain and a crosslinked structure formed by hydrolyzing or polycondensing an alkoxide of an element selected from Si, Ti, Zr and Al, wherein the hydrophilic layer comprises a photothermal conversion agent (A) and a compound (B) capable of forming a hydrophobic surface area by being heated or irradiated with radiation, and the photothermal conversion compound (A) is not included in the compound (B). This planographic printing plate precursor can be set, without being developed, onto a printer after images are formed, so as to perform printing. In addition, the precursor has remarkably improved printing stain resistance and printing resistance.

Abstract: An image information readout exposure apparatus includes: a first light source, for performing readout scanning exposure on an image information recording medium, on which image information is recordable as an electrostatic latent image, to read out image information recorded thereon; and a second light source, for performing scanning exposure on the image information recording medium, which is different from the readout scanning exposure performed by the first light source. The first and second light sources include an integrated illuminating portion and means for scanning the illuminating portion. The first and second light sources may be linear light sources. If so, the illuminating portion may include an optical path changing means, for changing an optical path of light emitted from at least one of the first and second light sources, so that a position illuminated by the first light source and a position illuminated by the second light source substantially match.

Abstract: A positive resist composition comprising: (A) a fluorine atom-containing resin, wherein the resin comprises at least one group that increases a solubility of the resin in an alkali developer by the action of an acid; and (B) a sulfonium salt compound having a cation moiety, wherein the cation moiety contains at least one hydroxy group, and the sulfonium salt compound generates an acid upon irradiation with one of an actinic ray and a radiation.

Abstract: An optical film comprises: a transparent support; and a light-diffusing layer comprising a first light-transparent resin particle and a binder, wherein the first light-transparent resin particle has an average particle diameter of from 5 to 15 ?m, the light-diffusing layer has a film thickness of from 8 to 30 ?m, and a haze of a surface, on the side coated with the light-diffusing layer, of the optical film is from 0 to 10%.

Abstract: A cellulose acylate film is provided and satisfies the following relationships (I) and (II). The cellulose acylate film has a residual sulfuric acid content of 0 ppm to 100 ppm and contains a release accelerator in an amount of 10 ppm to 2,000 ppm. 0?Re(630)?10 and |Rth(630)|?25??(I) |Re(400)?Re(700)|?10 and |Rth(400)?Rth(700)|?35??(II) Re(?) is an in-plane retardation value at a wavelength of ? nm, and Rth(?) is a thickness-direction retardation value at a wavelength of ? nm.

Abstract: An ink unit comprising: an ink utilized for an inkjet recorder; and a wetted member that contacts with the ink, wherein the ink comprises a pigment dispersedly held in a medium, and the pigment contains particles having a size of 200 nm or larger in 2 volume percent or less, and wherein a principal component of the ink-wetted member is [1] a compound of specific hydrotalcite; [2] a fatty acid and/or a fatty acid derivative; [3] a phenolic antioxidant having an isocyanurate skeleton; or [4] a polyolefin including an alkyl-substituted benzylidene sorbitol.

Abstract: A method of producing fine particles of metal complex pigment, containing the step of reacting a solution of an alkali metal salt of a ligand that constitutes the metal complex with a solution of salts of a metal that constitutes the metal complex, in the course of a laminar flow in a channel; and a method of producing fine particles of metal complex pigment, containing the step of bringing a solution of an alkali metal salt of a ligand that constitutes the metal complex and a solution of salts of a metal that constitutes the metal complex into contact with each other in a channel having an equivalent diameter of 1 mm or less to form a liquid flow.

Abstract: A film cartridge assembling apparatus including one or more assembly chucks each including two die elements formed by combining partial cylindrical inner surfaces thereof together. The circumference of a resulting cylinder being partially cut to form an opening. One of the die elements includes a member having a flat surface extending from an end of the cylindrically-shaped inner surface towards the opening. The member is adjustably mounted to the one of the die elements The assembly chuck is able to assume a closed state in which the two inner surfaces of the two die elements are matched to each other to form a cylindrical inner surface and an opened state in which ends of the two die elements substantially parallel to the center axis of the cylindrical inner surface are spaced apart form each other.

Abstract: A method for replenishing a development replenisher in an automatic developing machine for a photosensitive lithographic printing plate precursor, wherein a value of an electric conductivity of a developer obtained by measuring an electric conductivity is compared with a reference value, and a development replenisher is replenished to the developer when the value of the developer is lower than the reference value, the method comprising: using a reference value of an electric conductivity optimal for a high resolution image as the reference value when developing a precursor having an exposed high resolution image in which an output datum of 50% area ratio is 210 lpi or more in terms of a peripheral length of an image area in an image unit that constitutes a gradation of a screen image: and changing the reference value to an ordinary reference value when developing a precursor not having a high resolution image.

Abstract: An optical information recording method of recording information on an optical information recording medium by irradiation of laser beam, the method comprises the steps of: forming a recording waveform which forms a first pit having a shortest pit length, by using a top pulse having a width narrower than a width of a channel clock cycle; forming a recording waveform which forms a second pit that is second shortest following the first pit, by using the top pulse and a terminal pulse having a width narrower than the width of the channel clock cycle; and forming a recording waveform which forms a pit that is longer than the second pit, by using the top pulse, the terminal pulse, and at least one multipulse formed between the top pulse and the terminal pulse. According to the method described above, pits having stable shape can be formed and thus jitter of reproduced signals can be reduced in an optical information recording medium having a narrow track pitch and high recording density.

Abstract: A system controller of a color thermal printer obtains a density profile of an image with respect to a feeding direction of a color thermal recording paper based on density of a test print measured by a CCD line sensor, and then extracts a density unevenness component, which fluctuates periodically, from the density profile. The system controller relates the density unevenness component in one period to a rotating position of a feed motor so as to create a period profile of a driving pulse to offset the unevenness component. When recording the image, the driving pulse is given to the feed motor based on the period profile, so that the drive of the feed motor is controlled.

Abstract: A magnetic tape cartridge made up of a cartridge case composed of an upper and lower cases welded together on the mating surfaces by ultrasonic welding with a plurality of energy directors, and a single reel of magnetic tape rotatalby retained in the case, in which the weld deposits formed by the energy directors may be prevented from sticking out of the mating surfaces. A plurality of energy directors provided on one of the mating surfaces have an elongated shape, and are disposed with the longitudinal direction substantially perpendicular to the direction along the side wall of the upper and lower cases.

Abstract: A serial recording system printer continuously records a plurality of pages on a continuous recording sheet repeatedly fed/stopped and conveyed with a constant conveyance step width. A cutter is disposed on a downstream side of a print head so that the position of the cutter can be changed in the conveyance direction. The cutter position is moved for each page in accordance with the dimension of the page, and the sheet is cut. It is assumed that a signal indicating a terminal or front end position of the page is a start point, and that a product (n?) of a conveyance step width (?) and the number of repetitions (n) is set as a conveyance distance of the recording sheet. The cutter is moved to be positioned so that a distance (A) to the cutter from a print end position of a page terminal end or a print start position of a page front end agrees with the conveyance distance (n?).

Abstract: A diffusion film includes a transparent substrate and a diffusion layer. The diffusion layer shows a specific scattered light profile measured by a goniophotometer. In the scattered light profile, a ratio of an intensity of scattered light at an angle of 30° to an intensity of transmitted light at an angle of 0° is 0.01 to 0.2%.

Abstract: In an image processing method for obtaining a processed image signal from an original image signal representing an original image having a certain picture element density, a plurality of intermediate image signals which are different in frequency band are made on the basis of the original image signal. A plurality of transformed image signals are obtained by carrying out a transformation processing on the respective intermediate image signals on the basis of respective transformation functions, and a processed image signal is obtained from the transformed image signals. The transformation functions are defined by determining transformation function defining parameters for the transformation functions on the basis of the picture element density of the original image.

Abstract: A functional surface member comprising a support having a surface on which a graft polymer chain having a nonionic polar group in the side chain thereof is bonded and provided thereon a layer comprising adsorbed fine particle capable of polarly bonding to the polar group.