Abstract: A producing method includes a preparing step of preparing a chemical compound having at least one of elements of alkali metals and alkali earth metals along with platinum, and a reducing step of reducing the prepared chemical compound with a reducing agent to form platinum nanoparticles.

Abstract: The image feature extraction method of the present invention includes: the step of performing k2 dividing process at least once on a given image so as to convert the given image into a multi-divided image, where the k2 dividing process comprises the steps of: a) creating matrix T based on image matrix X; b) computing singular values of the matrix T; c) determining whether or not minj|?j??j?1|>?; d) if the result of the determination in the step c) is “No”, returning to the step c) subsequent to computing the singular values of the enlarged matrix T?; e) if the result of the determination in the step c) is “Yes”, obtaining U which satisfies T=USVT; f) obtaining matrix T1=UTT; and g) creating image matrix X1 based on matrix T1.

Abstract: The present invention includes a lighting control system provided with two or more lighting devices and one or more illumination comparing devices; wherein the illumination comparing device supplies to the lighting devices a comparison result in which a sampled illumination of an arbitrary position and a target illumination are compared; the two or more lighting devices carry out a judgment based on the comparison result obtained from the illumination comparing device and repetitively increase/decrease their respective light intensities; and the illumination of the arbitrary position is substantially controlled to the target illumination, and with this lighting control system, a predetermined position can be controlled to a desired illumination.

Abstract: The present invention includes a lighting control system provided with two or more lighting devices and one or more illumination comparing devices; wherein the illumination comparing device supplies to the lighting devices a comparison result in which a sampled illumination of an arbitrary position and a target illumination are compared; the two or more lighting devices carry out a judgment based on the comparison result obtained from the illumination comparing device and repetitively increase/decrease their respective light intensities; and the illumination of the arbitrary position is substantially controlled to the target illumination, and with this lighting control system, a predetermined position can be controlled to a desired illumination.

Abstract: A radio communications system includes radio devices, and antenna and an array antenna. The radio devices communicate a prescribed signal via the antenna and the array antenna in a system of transmission and reception at a single frequency, such as time division duplex, as the array antenna changes the in directivity to form a plurality of directivities. The radio devices detect a plurality of received radio waves' strength to produce receive signal profiles, respectively, indicating a plurality of strength profiles. The radio devices multivalue strength of the receive signal profiles, respectively, and generate private keys having the multivalued plurality of values serving as a bit pattern.

Abstract: The present invention is a lighting control system including at least one local device and a plurality of lighting devices. The communication transmission medium between the local device and the lighting devices is provided with directional characteristics, and the lighting devices are selected and designated, as needed, using ID information. A designated lighting device is lighted up and performs light intensity setting. A judgment is carried out as to whether or not the relation between an illumination at a desired position and a target illumination satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the illumination at the desired position to approach the target illumination by letting the plurality of lighting devices successively perform a procedure of increasing/decreasing their respective light intensities based on a result of the judgment.

Abstract: A Rankine cycle system has a condenser, a refrigerant circulating pump connected to the condenser, a heat collecting device connected to the refrigerant circulating pump, and an expansion turbine connected to the heat collecting device and the condenser. The refrigerant circulating pump includes an expansion tank or pressure vessel, a refrigerant supply conduit connected to the lower part of the expansion tank and to the condenser, and a refrigerant discharge conduit connected to the upper part of the expansion tank. An open/close valve is installed in the refrigerant supply conduit. A pressure regulating valve installed in the refrigerant discharge pipe opens when a pressure reaches a specified value or higher. A temperature regulating device can heat the refrigerant in the expansion tank to produce a refrigerant vapor of saturated temperature or higher, which vapor can be introduced into the heat collecting device.

Abstract: In order to reduce the time until an acoustic wave is generated and perform heat exchange smoothly in a stack, a thermoacoustic apparatus 1 includes a first stack 3a sandwiched between a first high-temperature-side heat exchanger 4 and a first low-temperature-side heat exchanger 5 and a second stack 3b sandwiched between a second high-temperature-side heat exchanger 6 and a second low-temperature-side heat exchanger 7 in the inside of a loop tube 2, wherein a standing wave and a traveling wave are generated through self excitation by heating the first high-temperature-side heat exchanger 4, the second low-temperature-side heat exchanger 7 is cooled by the standing wave and the traveling wave, or/and a standing wave and a traveling wave are generated by cooling the first low-temperature-side heat exchanger 5, and the second high-temperature-side heat exchanger 6 is heated by the standing wave and the traveling wave.

Abstract: For a plurality of combinations of a plurality of operating states included in an operating range of an engine and for a plurality of combinations of a plurality of objective variables, a system, which calculates design variables, includes a calculating device for obtaining global optimal solutions of the design variables that minimize or maximize a sum of the plurality of objective variables, which respectively correspond to the plurality of combinations of the plurality of operating states; a receiving device for receiving designation of an upper limit or a lower limit of the plurality of objective variables; and a searching device for searching for global optimal solutions that result in the smoothest change in the design variables when changing the operating states in a range of the received upper limit to the received lower limit of the objective variables, with one of the global optimal solutions as an initial value set.

Abstract: An x-ray generator comprising a vessel 1 in which a low pressure gas atmosphere is maintained, hemimorphic crystal supporting means 3a and 3b provided in the vessel, at least a pair of hemimorphic crystals 5a and 5b arranged oppositely at an interval and supported by the hemimorphic crystal supporting means in the vessel, and means 3a, 3b; 6b to 8a and 8b for elevating and lowering the temperature of the hemimorphic crystals. X-rays are radiated from the vessel as the temperature of the hemimorphic crystals is elevated or lowered.

Abstract: A waveguide and an attenuation pole waveguide bandpass filter with a simple structure without any additional structure such as a negative cross coupling between resonators. The attenuation pole waveguide bandpass filter arranged at right angle to the longitudinal direction (radio wave propagation direction) is composed only of conductors. The conductor comprises depressions each opening outwardly and having a non-conducting region which continues from the inside of the opening section to the outside, and a window in the conductor section between these opposed depressions. In an alternative embodiment, such conductor shall be covered by a dielectric such as a resin.

Abstract: Provided is a semiconductor device containing a silicon single crystal substrate 101, a silicon carbide layer 102 provided on a surface of the substrate, a Group III nitride semiconductor junction layer 103 provided in contact with the silicon carbide layer, and a superlattice-structured layer 104 constituted by Group III nitride semiconductors on the Group III nitride semiconductor junction layer. In this semiconductor device, the silicon carbide layer is a layer of a cubic system whose lattice constant exceeds 0.436 nm and is not more than 0.460 nm and which has a nonstoichiometric composition containing silicon abundantly in terms of composition, and the Group III nitride semiconductor junction layer has a composition of AlxGayInzN1-?M? (0?X, Y, Z?1, X+Y+Z=1, 0??<1, M is a Group V element except nitrogen).

Abstract: A Rankine cycle system has a condenser, a heat pump connected to the condenser, a heat collecting device connected to the heat pump, and an expansion turbine connected to the heat collecting device and the condenser. The heat pump includes an expansion tank or closed vessel, a refrigerant supply conduit connected to the lower part of the expansion tank and to the condenser, and a refrigerant discharge conduit connected to the upper part of the expansion tank. An open/close valve is installed in the refrigerant supply conduit. A pressure regulating valve installed in the refrigerant discharge pipe opens when a pressure reaches a specified value or higher. A temperature regulating device can heat the refrigerant in the expansion tank to produce a refrigerant vapor of saturated temperature or higher, which vapor can be introduced into the heat collecting device.

Abstract: A classification apparatus including a magnetic stirrer composed of main body (1) and rotor (2) and, arranged on the main body of the magnetic stirrer, classification tube (3). The interior of the classification tube is provided with classification compartments (A-E) partitioned from each other by divider plates (5a-5b). The lowermost classification compartment (A) is furnished with gas emission conduit (7). In the classification compartment (A), the rotor (2) of the magnetic stirrer is arranged. From gas supply source (8), a high-pressure gas is fed into the gas emission conduit. By means of the gas emitted from the gas emission conduit, a vortex flow rising from the lowermost classification compartment sequentially toward higher classification compartments is generated in the classification tube.

Abstract: A method, computer, and recording medium storing a program are provided which, based on local optimal solutions, more efficiently calculate an optimal global optimal solution in a global operating area. System calculates the global optimal solution by solving, using a genetic algorithm based on the local optimal solutions and the initial values, an equation, which should be satisfied by the plurality of design variables, by obtaining the plurality of combinations of design variables composing local optimal solutions for each design variable respectively calculated for each of a plurality of combinations of a plurality of operating states, and by obtaining initial values for the plurality of combinations of design variables used for calculating the global optimal solution.

Abstract: A CO2 cooling and heating apparatus and method permit simultaneous production of high-temperature heat source and low-temperature heat source having a temperature difference therebetween. The apparatus/method uses CO2 (carbon dioxide) as a refrigerant, and has a first refrigerating cycle circuit where the refrigerant is compressed to a supercritical zone and then decompressed via an expansion device to a pressure/temperature level of the CO2 triple point or below to thereby attain evaporation. The apparatus can include multistage compressors, intermediate cooler disposed in a first refrigerant flow path between a condenser and the expansion device.

Abstract: A waveguide and an attenuation pole waveguide bandpass filter with a simple structure without any additional structure such as a negative cross coupling between resonators. The attenuation pole waveguide bandpass filter arranged at right angle to the longitudinal direction (radio wave propagation direction) is composed only of conductors. The conductor comprises depressions each opening outwardly and having a non-conducting region which continues from the inside of the opening section to the outside, and a window in the conductor section between these opposed depressions. In an alternative embodiment, such conductor shall be covered by a dielectric such as a resin.

Abstract: The invention judges whether or not the relation between an illumination at a desired position and a target illumination satisfies a predetermined condition, and causes the illumination at the desired position to approach the target illumination by letting a plurality of lighting devices successively perform a procedure of increasing/decreasing their respective light intensities based on a result of the judgment. The illumination at the desired position is caused to approach the target illumination by randomly varying the light intensities of the lighting devices, making comparison between the illumination at the desired position and the target illumination, and narrowing the width of variation based on a result of the comparison. When the electric power consumption has increased, the light intensities are returned to the previous values. Furthermore, there is provided a control terminal device for control that can be used for other control amounts.

Abstract: The present invention is made to provide a method of producing a ZnO thin film in which the c-axis is oriented in-plane over a large area. A ZnO target 28 as the material of the thin film is sputtered by using a magnetron sputtering system, and a flow of material (material flow) directed from the cathode 23 to the anode 24 is generated in a plasma. The material flow has a high density at its central part and has a low density as it departs from the central part. A substrate 20 is fixed at a position displaced from the central axis of a region 30 where the material flow is generated so as to be inclined relative to the central axis. Thereby, a temperature gradient is naturally formed on the substrate 20, and the c-axis of the ZnO thin film deposited on the substrate 20 is oriented in-plane to the temperature gradient direction. Since the substrate 20 is fixed so as to be inclined relative to the material flow, the area where the c-axis is consistently oriented in-plane becomes larger than before.

Abstract: A thermoacoustic device 1 for reliably generating standing and traveling waves, which have a large sound pressure, in a loop tube, has a loop tube 2 in which a working fluid is sealed; first stacks 3a, each of which has a plurality of communication paths 30 along a heat transportation direction and is provided between a first high-temperature side heat exchanger 4 and a first low-temperature side heat exchanger 5, which are provided in this loop tube 2; and a second stack 3b which has a plurality of communication paths 30 along a heat transportation direction and which is provided between a second high-temperature side heat exchanger 6 and a second low-temperature side heat exchanger 7, which are provided in the loop tube 2, and in the thermoacoustic device 1, self-excited standing and traveling waves are generated by heating the first high-temperature side heat exchanger 4, so that the second low-temperature side heat exchanger 7 is cooled by the standing and traveling waves.