Abstract: A magnetic head comprises a retrieving unit for converting magnetic information output from a recording medium into an electric signal, a writing unit having the function of electromagnetic conversion for writing the magnetic information in the recording medium in response to the electric signal, and a first protective film formed on the retrieving unit. A second protective film is formed on the first protective film. The coefficient of linear expansion of the second protective film is reduced in comparison with that of the first protective film. Furthermore, the first protective film is an alumina film; in contrast, the second protective film is a film made of an alumina film containing silicon oxide therein.

Abstract: A laminating apparatus 100 is composed of a cooling section 120 for cooling a card 1, and a thermo compression bonding section LR for thermally compression bonding the card 1 cooled by the cooling section 120 and a laminate film 2 having a material for forming a protective film 2a so as to produce a laminated card by bonding the material for forming a protective film 2a on at least one surface 1 a of the card 1.

Abstract: The present invention provides a substance which inhibits the binding between E2/NS1 protein of hepatitis C virus and a cell infectious with hepatitis C virus, a cell expressing CD81, or CD81. The present invention can provide a novel medicament which has an anti-viral effects such as an inhibitory action against HCV infection.

Abstract: A submarine cable power feeding system includes N (N is an integer of 2 or larger) main submarine cables extending from the land in the offshore direction, N-stage (N is an integer of 2 or larger) submarine feed branching devices, and first to Nth (N is an integer of 2 or larger) sub submarine cables. Each submarine feed branching device is connected to the main submarine cable to receive constant-voltage power from a constant-voltage feed unit. Each sub submarine cable connects the Nth-stage submarine feed branching device, connected to the Nth main submarine cable, to the adjacent submarine feed branching device through submarine repeaters, thereby receiving power from a constant-current feed unit. Each constant-current feed unit is built in the submarine feed branching device. The submarine feed branching devices and the submarine repeaters are arranged in a matrix on a plane.

Abstract: A fluid application device stores seam paste in a reservoir tank 18 and feeds the seam paste to a pressure tank 20 through a feed pump 22. Inside of the pressure tank 20 is maintained under a given air pressure by a pneumatic unit 26, and the seam paste is supplied from the pressure tank 20 to an application nozzle 16 through a supply pipe 24. A level sensor 28 detects fluid level of stored seam paste in the pressure tank 20, and a detection signal is input to a controller 30. The controller 30 controls operation of the feed pump 22 based on the detection signal that is transmitted from the level sensor 28 and also controls a supply amount of the seam paste to the pressure tank 20 to maintain the fluid level in the pressure tank 20 at a fixed level.

Abstract: In an air conditioner (1) constructed to pass an air introduced into an air conditioning unit (4) through an evaporator (33) and a heater core (34) both arranged in the unit (4), cooler pipes (90) for the evaporator (33) and heater pipes (91) for the heater core (34) are arranged to extend from the same side wall of the air conditioning unit (4).

Abstract: The communication system 1 comprises the network 70, the circuit controller 10, the ISDN I/F (Integrated Services Network Interface) 20, the PSTN I/F (Private Switched Telephone Network Interface) 30, and the radio base station 40, wherein the circuit controller 10 and the radio base station 40 are connected to the network 70 and communication between mobile radiotelephones 51 through 53 is performed by means of the radio base station 40. Further, the mobile radiotelephone 51 can communicate with other telephone equipment which are connected to the network 70. Furthermore, the mobile radiotelephone 51 can communicate with external telephone equipment which are connected to the analog telephone network 65 or the ISDN network 60 through the PSTN I/F 30 or the ISDN I/F 20. These communication are controlled by the radio base station 40, the circuit controller 10, and terminal equipment such as the ISDN I/F 20 and the PSTN I/F 30.

Abstract: There is provided an optical switch that can be easily manufactured and has hardly any optical loss. A movable board-like electrode disposed in parallel with a fixed board-like electrode with a predetermined space therebetween by a flexible beam-like element, at least two mirrors fabricated on the surface of the movable board-like electrode, and at least three V-shaped grooves for fixing optical fibers are concurrently fabricated by applying an anisotropic etching to a single crystal silicon having its surface of (100) crystal face. In this case, two opposed mirrors are fabricated such that their mirror surfaces form a right angle, and two parallel V-shaped grooves are formed at positions opposed to the mirror surfaces at an angle of 45° thereto. An output side and an input side optical fibers are received and fixed in one of the two V-shaped grooves and the other groove, respectively.

Abstract: A coater for dispersed slurry capable of coating coated dispersed slurry on a nonwoven cloth-like base material while bringing the slurry into contact with the material, comprising a net conveyor for transferring the nonwoven cloth-like base material, a supply means for supplying the dispersed slurry onto the net conveyor, and a coating roll for forming a coating layer of a specified thickness by pressing, from the upper side thereof, the dispersed slurry supplied onto the nonwoven cloth-like base material, wherein this coating roll is allowed to come into direct contact with the dispersed slurry on the peripheral surface of the nonwoven cloth-like base material or allowed to come into contact with the dispersed slurry through a film provided therethrough.

Abstract: In an audio signal encoding apparatus, a first audio signal and a second audio signal are added into an addition-result signal. The first audio signal is subtracted from the second audio signal to generate a subtraction-result signal. A first difference signal is generated which represents a difference in the addition-result signal. A second difference signal is generated which represents a difference in the subtraction-result signal. A plurality of first predictors have different prediction characteristics respectively, and are responsive to the first difference signal for generating first different prediction signals for the first difference signal, respectively. A plurality of first subtracters operate for generating first prediction-error signals representing differences between the first difference signal and the first different prediction signals, respectively. A first minimum prediction-error signal representative of a smallest difference is selected from among the first prediction-error signals.

Abstract: A magnetic semiconductor material having magnetization characteristics and a method for preparing the same is provided. In the method for preparing the magnetic semiconductor, Mn is vapor-deposited at a thickness of 200 to 300 ? onto a CdGeP2 single crystal (2) while the CdGeP2 single crystal (2) is maintained at a temperature of about 390° C. in a molecular beam epitaxy apparatus (1). The Mn-deposited CdGeP2 single crystal is heated at a temperature of about 510° C. for 1 hour. Thus, a magnetic semiconductor comprising CdMnGeP2 and having magnetization characteristics at room temperature is prepared.

Abstract: A novel artificial nucleic acid base pair which is obtained by forming a selective base pair by introducing a group having steric hindrance (preferably a group having steric hindrance and static repulsion and a stacking effect) and can be recognized by a polymerase such as DNA polymerase; a novel artificial gene; and a method of designing nucleic acid bases so as to form a selective base pair with the use of steric hindrance, static repulsion and stacking effect at the base moity of the nucleic acid. An artificial nucleic acid comprising these bases; a process for producing the same; a codon containing the same; a nucleic acid molecule containing the same; a process for producing a non-natural gene by using the same; a process for producing a novel protein by using the above nucleic acid molecule or non-natural gene, and the like.

Abstract: A signal light pulse to be converted into a two-dimensional space signal and a reference ultra-short light pulse are directed to a dispersion device, a second-harmonic is generated by introducing a one-dimensional frequency light distribution obtained by a one-dimensional Fourier transform lens, the second-harmonic is then subjected to time-to-space conversion through a one-dimensional Fourier transform lens so as to obtain a light wave distribution, and the light wave distribution is then subjected to filtering by a time-frequency filter provided on a filter plane of a one-dimensional space frequency filtering optical system and is further converted into a two-dimensional space signal corresponding to a time-frequency expanded two-dimensional light distribution which represents a relation between time and frequency of the signal pulse light.

Abstract: A laser-beam-scanned optical disc includes an information recording area and an information management area. The information management area stores recording management information having portions corresponding to respective integer multiples of a normal velocity relating to scanning of the disc. Each of the portions of the recording management information contains a first information piece representative of a recording strategy for recording of information on the information recording area and a second information piece representative of a recording laser power for recording of information on the information recording area.

Abstract: A design method for automatically determining layout of a multilayer semiconductor device which has circuit blocks formed on a semiconductor substrate and measurement terminals for measuring voltage, logic state, or the like, on wiring lines for connecting the circuit blocks. The method includes the steps of registering measurement terminals as cells in design rules, together with the circuit blocks wherein each measurement terminal has an electrode formed in an uppermost layer of the semiconductor device, and the measurement terminal is connectable to a wiring line for connecting any two of the circuit blocks, which is formed in any layer of the semiconductor device; planar-arranging the measurement terminals and the circuit blocks; and establishing connection of each wiring line, which extends from one of the circuit blocks, via one of the measurement terminals.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an environmental stress-tolerant plant. The invention discloses a transgenic plant containing a gene in which a DNA encoding the following protein (a) or (b) is ligated downstream of a stress responsive promoter: (a) a protein consisting of the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 8 or SEQ ID NO: 10; (b) a protein which consists of the amino acid sequence having deletion, substitution or addition of at least one amino acid in the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 2, SEQ ID NO: 4, SEQ ID NO: 6, SEQ ID NO: 8 or SEQ ID NO: 10 and which regulates the transcription of genes located downstream of a stress responsive element.

Abstract: Every prescribed unit of video data is analyzed to estimate a degree of influence of pictures represented by every prescribed unit of video data on a viewer. For example, every prescribed unit of three-dimensional video data is analyzed to estimate a degree of influence of a depth in three-dimensional pictures represented by every prescribed unit of three-dimensional video data on a viewer. Information is generated which represents the estimated influence degree. Every prescribed unit of video data and the generated information are outputted while they are related to each other.

Abstract: A battery separator comprising a nonwoven fabric, wherein the nonwoven fabric contains (1) superfine fibers having a fiber diameter of 3 ?m or less, (2) noncircular fine fibers having a noncircular cross-sectional shape and having a fiber diameter of 3 to 5 ?m (excluding 3 ?m), the fiber diameter meaning a diameter of a circle having an area the same as that of the noncircular cross-sectional shape, and (3) polypropylene based high-strength composite fibers containing a fusible component on the surface thereof and having a tensile strength of 4.5 cN/dtex or more, and the fusible component contained in the polypropylene based high-strength composite fibers is fused, and a battery comprising the battery separator are disclosed. A battery separator of the present invention has a high electrolyte-holding capacity and is capable of effectively preventing a short circuit, even if the separator is designed to be thinner to enhance the capacity of a battery.

Abstract: A confocal microscope apparatus has a confocal scanner for scanning a sample with shifting a focal position of a light beam in a direction perpendicular to an optical axis, a moving mechanism for moving the focal position of the light beam in an optical axis direction, a camera for picking up an image of the sample with the light beam, and a movement control unit for controlling the moving mechanism to move the focal position of the light beam by a predetermined distance in the optical axis direction for every vertical synchronizing signal of the camera in synchronization with the vertical synchronizing signal. A high-speed three-dimensional image can be displayed in such that while measuring the sample, two or more slice images in such an arrangement on a common screen that their positions relative to the sample enables to be grasped.

Abstract: Alicyclic epoxy resins having high transparency, suited for application to optical materials, coating materials, etc., and solid at normal temperature are provided. These alicyclic epoxy resins meet the following requirements (a) to (d): (a) epoxy equivalent is 500 to 10,000; (b) nuclear hydrogenation rate is not lower than 96%; (c) softening temperature as measured by the ring and ball method of JIS-K-7234 is 40 to 200° C.; and (d) light transmittance measured at a wavelength of 400 nm is not less than 90%.