Abstract: An optical pickup device is provided that permits, with an inexpensive construction, adjustment of the parallelism of a pair of guide rods for guiding an optical head relative to a recording surface of an optical disc. The guide rods 2 receive, from twist coil springs 5 fitted to a chassis, an elastic restoring force and are thereby loaded with a force that tends to move the guide rods 2 away from the recording surface of the optical disc. At a position close to each of at least three of a total of four ends 2a of the guide rods 2, an adjustment screw 5 is fitted to the chassis by being screw-engaged into a nut 6 so as to, when rotated, move close to and away from the recording surface of the optical disc. The position in which the guide rods 2 remain loaded with the force is determined as a result of the outer circumference of the guide rods 2 at the at least three ends 2a thereof making contact with a flat inner end face 5aa on the head portion 5a of each of the adjustment screws 5.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a production method for a hot rolled strip in a hot rolling line. An object of the present invention is to ensure stable running of a hot rolled strip on a hot runout table, and to prevent excessive displacement of the hot rolled strip above a pass line, and, for example, a head folding defect and a tail folding defect resulting from the displacement. In the method of the present invention, a fluid jet is squirted above a hot rolled strip conveyed by a hot runout table so as to pass over the hot rolled strip running without touching a surface of the hot rolled strip running on a pass line (a strip-conveying surface of the hot runout table). A strip portion displaced upward from the pass line beyond a predetermined level collides with the fluid jet, and the displacement of the strip portion is thereby corrected.

Abstract: A reservoir tank for a vehicle brake system has a tank body including upper and lower shells joined together along mating surfaces. A float and a fluid level sensor are mounted in a fluid level detecting chamber defined in the tank body. The float is fitted on a shaft of the fluid level sensor. A partition plate is fitted in the lower shell to restrict a flow of hydraulic fluid into and out of the fluid level detecting chamber. The partition plate is disposed near the top end of the shaft of the fluid level sensor to restrict the distance by which the float can move vertically. A filter, the fluid level sensor and the partition plate are all set in the lower shell. The filter and the partition plate having their top ends pressed against the bottom ends of partitioning walls of the upper shell. Thus, the filter and the partition wall are held in position in the tank body between the upper and lower shells.

Abstract: An image-quality-mode receiving unit receives a selection of an image quality mode for forming an image based on image data. A first gradation converting unit performs a gradation conversion of the image data by setting a gradation conversion parameter based on the image quality mode. A feature extracting unit performs a gradation conversion of a feature-extraction threshold based on the gradation conversion parameter, and extracts, based on the feature-extraction threshold after the gradation conversion, a feature amount from the image data after the gradation conversion. A second gradation converting unit performs a gradation conversion of the image data by setting a gradation conversion parameter based on a result of extracting the feature amount and the image quality mode.

Abstract: A secondary battery includes: a positive electrode; a negative electrode; a porous electron-insulating layer adhered to a surface of at least one selected from the group consisting of the positive electrode and the negative electrode; and an electrolyte. The porous electron-insulating layer comprises a particulate filler and a resin binder, and the particulate filler comprises an indefinite-shape particle comprising a plurality of primary particles that are joined to one another. A neck is preferably formed between the primary particles. Since the porous electron-insulating layer has high porosity, it is possible to obtain a secondary battery that exhibits excellent low-temperature characteristics, which are particularly important in actual use, and that is capable of discharging at a large current.

Abstract: The liquid crystal panel according to an embodiment of the present invention includes, in the stated order from a viewer side: a first polarizer; a first optical compensation layer; a liquid crystal cell; a second optical compensation layer; and a second polarizer, wherein: the first optical compensation layer has an absolute value of a photoelastic coefficient of 40×10?12 (m2/N) or less, has an in-plane retardation ?nd of 90 nm to 200 nm, has relationships of the following Expressions (1) and (2), and functions as a protective layer on a liquid crystal cell side of the first polarizer; and the second optical compensation layer has relationships of the following Expressions (3) and (4), ?nd(380)=?nd(550)=?nd(780) ??(1) nx>ny>nz ??(2) Rth(380)>Rth(550)>Rth(780) ??(3) nx=ny>nz.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a field-effect transistor includes the steps of forming a source electrode and a drain electrode each containing hydrogen or deuterium; forming an oxide semiconductor layer in which the electrical resistance is decreased if hydrogen or deuterium is added; and, causing hydrogen or deuterium to diffuse from the source electrode and the drain electrode to the oxide semiconductor layer.

Abstract: A method for controlling communications between players of a multi-player game while they participate in the multi-player game, including automatically changing communication parameters to define a first group of players that hear a first player and a second, different group of players that are heard by the first player in response to a change in a situation, within the game, of a game character.

Abstract: A gas exhaust unit evacuates the inside of a vacuum transfer chamber at a constant exhaust rate. An gas exhaust valve is kept normally open, and a purge gas (N2 gas) is supplied from a purge gas supply source into the vacuum transfer chamber via a mass flow controller (MFC) and an opening/closing valve. A main control unit controls a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber to be within a specified range through a flow rate set value for the MFC while monitoring a pressure in the vacuum transfer chamber via a vacuum gauge. The main control unit determines occurrence of abnormality when the pressure exceeds a specified upper limit and then takes such actions as changing a flow rate set value for the MFC, giving an alarm and stopping the operation of a vacuum processing apparatus.

Abstract: The object is to provide a polyimide ink composition having good printing properties and good continuous printing properties, which composition can be dried at a low temperature of not higher than 220° C., and which composition gives a coating film, after being dried, having excellent dimensional stability, heat resistance, low modulus of elasticity, flexibility, resistance to warping, chemical resistance, adhesiveness with substrates, and plating resistance.

Abstract: A fan motor driving circuit controls an energized state of a fan motor by performing on and off control of a switching circuit connected to a coil of the fan motor of a driving object. A variable reference voltage circuit generates a voltage whose voltage level changes with time by charging or discharging a capacitor at the start of starting up the fan motor. A drive signal combining unit generates drive signals on the basis of the voltage when at least starting up, and performs on and off control of the switching circuit by the drive signals. An initialization circuit initializes the capacitor before starting up with a transition from off to on of a power supply voltage to be supplied to the fan motor driving circuit as a turning point.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a display device including a pair of substrates opposed to each other, a pixel region provided between the substrates, and an external wiring provided on an extension of one of the substrates. The external wiring is disposed in a recess formed on the extension. With this structure, the external wiring provided on the extension can be reliably protected to thereby improve the reliability of the display device.

Abstract: A semiconductor disk wherein a flash memory into which data is rewritten in block unit is employed as a storage medium, the semiconductor disk including a data memory in which file data are stored, a substitutive memory which substitutes for blocks of errors in the data memory, an error memory in which error information of the data memory are stored, and a memory controller which reads data out of, writes data into and erases data from the data memory, the substitutive memory and the error memory. Since the write errors of the flash memory can be remedied, the service life of the semiconductor disk can be increased.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic charge image comprising a compound represented by a following formula (1): wherein X represents H or —CO—R4; R4 represents an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms and the alkyl group may have a substituent; R1 though R3 independently represent an alkyl group having 10 to 30 carbon atoms and the alkyl group may have a substituent; and R1 through R3 may be either the same or different.

Abstract: A bitstream of each tile in a code sequence is segmented into bitstreams for respective resolution levels (S70). Image key K_I is generated (S71). Bitstream key K_BS is generated from image key K_I using encoding parameters P (S72). Key K_Ti of tile Ti is generated from bitstream key K_BS using information associated with that tile (S74). Finally, keys corresponding to the segmented bitstreams indicating respective resolutions in tile Ti are generated (S76).

Abstract: A communication system includes: at least one light-emitting device for emitting a light; and at least one light-receiving device for receiving the light emitted from the at least one light-emitting device. The light-emitting device further includes: at least one driver unit for generating a modified current based on an externally entered information signal; and at least one light-emitting unit operatively and functionally coupled to the at least one driver unit for receiving the modified current and emitting a modified signal light including any information based on the modified current. The at least one light-emitting unit includes at least one electroluminescence element.

Abstract: A golf ball comprising a core, an intermediate layer, and a cover exhibits a good profile of rebound, feel and durability suited for low head speed amateur players when it satisfies the requirements that (Shore D hardness of the cover)?(Shore D hardness of the intermediate layer)>0, (initial velocity (in m/s) of the core enclosed with the intermediate layer)?(initial velocity (in m/s) of the core)>0, 0.90?(Deflection amount of the core enclosed with the intermediate layer)/(Deflection amount of the core)?1.00, and the total thickness (in mm) of the intermediate layer and the cover is up to 3.0 mm.

Abstract: The present invention provides a polypeptide comprising an amino acid sequence in which at least one amino acid is deleted, substituted or added in an amino acid sequence of isopropylmalate isomerase derived from a microorganism belonging to coryneform bacteria, wherein a coryneform bacterium which produces the polypeptide comprising the amino acid sequence as the sole isopropylmalate isomerase exhibits a partial leucine requirement in a minimal medium; a DNA encoding the polypeptide, a recombinant DNA comprising the DNA, a microorganism transformed with the recombinant DNA, and a process for producing an L-amino acid using the microorganism.

Abstract: The invention detects quickly and with high precision abnormalities in fuel cells. In a method of detecting abnormalities in a fuel cell 1 comprising a plurality of unit cells that generate power by supplying hydrogen gas to an anode and supplying air to a cathode of each unit cell, the abnormality in the fuel cell 1 is detected based on the speed of the decrease in the cell voltages after stopping the fuel cell, i.e., after stopping the supply of the reacting gases to the fuel cell.

Abstract: An optical signal recording medium includes at least one signal recoding plane in which an optical signal is to be recorded, and a control information region which is a portion other than the signal recoding plane, and in which a diffraction grating is disposed.