Abstract: A photocatalytic colored member includes a laminate formed by laminating a plurality of thin-film layers of photocatalytic material and a plurality of thin-film layers of support material, with vacant layers formed such that they are open to the outside on the rear surface side of the thin-film layers of photocatalytic material.

Abstract: An optical apparatus has an adjustment apparatus 5 and an optical unit 1 including a plurality of optical elements. The adjustment apparatus sequentially provides control signals that, according to a probabilistic search technique, change the parameters of a stipulated plurality of optical elements among the optical elements to become parameters that cause the functions of the optical apparatus to satisfy stipulated specifications. A method of adjusting the optical apparatus includes sequentially providing control signals that, according to a probabilistic search technique, change the parameters of the stipulated plurality of optical elements among the optical elements, and searching for optical values at which the functions of the optical apparatus the stipulated specification.

Abstract: A laser tracking interferometric length measuring instrument has a laser source and a tracking articulating optical lever provided on an optical path of an interferometric optical system. To track a retroreflector, the optical lever reflects a laser beam at the retroreflector, which reflects the beam back to the optical lever. This beam is reflected onto a quadrant photodiode. An attitude control means is used to control the attitude of the optical lever so that the laser beam reflected by the optical lever falls on the neutral point of the photodiode.

Abstract: A diamond semiconductor has an exciton light-emission intensity characteristic that varies nonlinearly.

Abstract: A novel method for separating a target substance, for example, metal ion, drug or biological component is provided. According to the method, the surface of a packing undergoes a chemical or physical environmental change under a physical stimulus so that the interaction of a substance interacting with the target substance is reversibly changed in an aqueous solution, thus effecting separation.

Abstract: A marine plant field survey method includes the step of using a submarine mobile video system capable of taking images underwater to measure degree of macrophyte coverage in a marine plant field by taking wide-field images of macrophytes from above and a step of using the submarine mobile video system to discriminate species of macrophytes by taking images of macrophytes from a direction other than from above. A marine plant survey system includes a camera for taking wide-field images of macrophytes from above and a camera for taking images of macrophytes from a direction other than from above.

Abstract: An optical apparatus has an adjustment apparatus 5 and an optical unit 1 including a plurality of optical elements. The adjustment apparatus sequentially provides control signals that, according to a probabilistic search technique, change the parameters of a stipulated plurality of optical elements among the optical elements to become parameters that cause the functions of the optical apparatus to satisfy stipulated specifications. A method of adjusting the optical apparatus includes sequentially providing control signals that, according to a probabilistic search technique, change the parameters of the stipulated plurality of optical elements among the optical elements, and searching for optical values at which the functions of the optical apparatus the stipulated specification.

Abstract: A diamond semiconductor includes a high-quality thin diamond film layer with few crystal defects and few impurities, implanted with ions of dopant elements and controllable in conductivity determined by a kind and a concentration of the dopant elements. The diamond semiconductor is fabricated by a method including the step of implanting ions of dopant elements into a high-quality thin diamond film layer with few crystal defects and few impurities under conditions that can attain given distribution of concentrations of the dopant elements and with the high-quality thin diamond film layer kept to a temperature in accordance with the conditions so as not to be graphitized, to thereby enable the diamond semiconductor to have conductivity determined by a kind and a concentration of the dopant elements.

Abstract: The present invention provides a bioassay system, for detection of hazardous chemical substances, natural toxic substances in the environment and unknown toxic compounds, with high sensitivity, simplicity and speed. The invention provides cells and a method of using the cells for use in the bioassay system. The cell provided by the invention contains a heat shock factor binding DNA sequence and a transcriptional regulatory sequence necessary on an occasion of stress induction as a transcriptional regulatory factor binding site. The cell also possesses a reporter gene under the control of the promoter. The reporter gene is connected, on the downstream side, to the SV40pA signal without any intervening intron.

Abstract: A method is provided for adjusting the optical axis of a light transmission path that includes a plurality of optical components. The method uses an apparatus to sequentially adjust the optical axis of one or more of the optical components, using a probabilistic search technique to obtain optimum evaluation value with respect to light transmitted through the light transmission path.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the production of an oxide of a metal A by heating precursors of the oxide of a metal A, in the presence of an oxygen partial pressure control agent comprising an oxide of a metal B that is capable of assuming multiple valence numbers. The process is carried out under a condition that an ionization tendency relationship of Ai+<Bj+<A0 is satisfied, where i is a valence number of the metal A in the oxide to be produced and j is a valence number of the metal B in the oxygen partial pressure control agent.

Abstract: The present invention is to fabricate a quantum dot functional structure having ultra-fine particles homogeneously distributed in a transparent medium by efficiently fabricating high-purity ultra-fine particles having a single particle diameter and uniform structure and depositing the ultra-fine particles onto a substrate in conjunction with the transparent medium. For these purposes, an apparatus for fabricating a quantum dot functional structure is provided.

Abstract: A novel method for separating a target substance, for example, metal ion, drug or biological component is provided. According to the method, the surface of a packing undergoes a chemical or physical environmental change under a physical stimulus so that the interaction of a substance interacting with the target substance is reversibly changed in an aqueous solution, thus effecting separation.

Abstract: A fingertip-mounted six-axis force sensor includes a fingerstall into which a fingertip of a human is inserted, an elastic component connected and fixed to the fingerstall, adapted to distort in response to specific force components including fingertip contact forces and contact moments, and equipped with a distortion detecting device for detecting force components in three axial directions, and a finger cover equipped with a fitting block and connected and fixed to the elastic component via the fitting block. Distortion of the elastic component produced in response to the fingertip contact forces and contact moments exerted onto an object by the human fingertip is detected by the distortion detecting device and converted into an electrical signal that is taken out and processed to calculate the fingertip contact forces.

Abstract: A Mg-doped high-temperature superconductor having low superconducting anisotropy includes a two-dimensional layered structure constituted by a charge reservoir layer and a superconducting layer, wherein some or all atoms constituting the charge reservoir layer are Cu and O atoms, metallizing or rendering the charge reservoir layer superconducting, a portion of the Ca of the CunCan+1O2n constituting the superconducting layer is replaced by Mg, increasing superconductive coupling between CuO2 layers, a thickness of the superconducting layer is increased, and therefore coherence length in a thickness direction is increased based on the uncertainty principle, lowering superconducting anisotropy.

Abstract: A three-dimensional universal unit for movable structures includes first and second coupling members. Each coupling member includes two opposing side surface parts, an end face part connected to form a right angle with one end face of each side surface part, a coupling/uncoupling device provided on the two side surface parts and end surface part of the first coupling member and operating independently, a permanent magnet provided on the two side surface parts and end face part of the second coupling member, and a linking part disposed between the two side surface parts of each coupling member. The universal unit further includes a linking member that rotatably links the linking parts of the two coupling members and a drive apparatus that rotationally drives the two coupling members relative to the linking member.

Abstract: A laser tracking interferometric length measuring instrument has a laser source and a tracking articulating optical lever provided on an optical path of an interferometric optical system. To track a retroreflector, the optical lever reflects a laser beam at the retroreflector, which reflects the beam back to the optical lever. This beam is reflected onto a quadrant photodiode. An attitude control means is used to control the attitude of the optical lever so that the laser beam reflected by the optical lever falls on the neutral point of the photodiode.

Abstract: A prober for measuring electrical characteristics of a semiconductor device includes a contact device having a contactor with a sharp tip provided at a position close above the position of the semiconductor device at which the electrical characteristics are to be measured, a drive device for driving the contact device in the directions of the x-, y- and z-axes on the nm order, an x- and y-axis drive circuit that supplies drive current to the drive device for driving the contact device in the directions of the x- and y-axes, a signal supply device for supplying a signal between the surface of the semiconductor device and the contact device, a detection device for detecting the signal from the supply device and providing an output signal, a z-axis drive control circuit that supplies drive current to the drive device for driving the contact device in the z-axis direction by using the output signal from the detection device as a feedback input signal, a circuit for providing output to the z-axis drive control cir

Abstract: An apparatus for acquiring human finger manipulation data includes at least one finger motion detector consisting of a force sensor to be fitted on a human fingertip, at least three links and at least four angle detectors; and a base supporting the finger motion detector. The base can be attached to an external mount or a human hand. The force sensor is connected to the base through a link mechanism constituted by the links, and the angle detectors are attached at pivots between the links and optionally at a pivot between the link mechanism and the base. Three-dimensional motion of the finger is determined by measuring data of the angle detectors of the link mechanism, and fingertip contact force is measured by the force sensor. Up to five finger motion detectors, one for the thumb and each finger, can be supported on the base.

Abstract: A ferulic acid derivative represented by the general formula: wherein R denotes a polyethylene glycol group, a crown ether group, or a azacrown ether group.