Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a conveyor to convey a recording medium, a liquid discharge device including a liquid discharge head having multiple nozzles to discharge a liquid. The circuitry selects one of multiple dummy discharge patterns to discharge the liquid from a part of the multiple nozzles to one of non-image forming areas to perform a part of a dummy discharge operation; switches the multiple dummy discharge patterns: from one of the multiple dummy discharge patterns; to another of the multiple dummy discharge patterns, to discharge the liquid from another part of the multiple nozzles to perform another part of the dummy discharge operation; and alternately repeats an image forming operation and the dummy discharge operation to discharge the liquid from all the multiple nozzles with all the multiple dummy discharge patterns to complete one cycle of the dummy discharge operation.

Abstract: A printing system is disclosed. The printing system includes at least one physical memory device to store control mark logic and one or more processors coupled with at least one physical memory device to execute the control mark logic to generate control mark print instructions to direct a print engine to print a control mark on a print medium, wherein the control mark comprises a matrix of print regions extending in process and cross-process directions having a plurality of ink colors and insert printed control marks into instructed sheets of a print job based on the control mark print instructions.

Abstract: A heating device, an image forming apparatus, and a liquid discharge apparatus. The heating device includes a heating roller having heat sources inside to heat a sheet. The heat sources include three or more first heat sources having a same distribution of thermal intensity and a second heat source having a distribution of thermal intensity different from the distribution of the thermal intensity of the first heat sources, and the second heat source is disposed inside a polygon whose vertices are the first heat sources when viewed from one end of the heating roller in a longitudinal direction of the heating roller. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form an image on a sheet, and the heating device to heat the sheet. The liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge device to discharge liquid onto a sheet, and the heating device to heat the sheet.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a conveyance path, a conveyor, and a liquid discharger. The conveyor conveys a medium in a conveyance direction along the conveyance path. The liquid discharger is disposed above the conveyance path to discharge a liquid toward the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The liquid discharger includes a discharge head, a housing, an airflow generator, and slit. The discharge head has a nozzle from which the liquid is discharged. The housing accommodates the discharge head. The housing has a lower face from which the nozzle of the discharge head is exposed and a slit adjacent to the discharge head in the lower face of the housing. The airflow generator generates an airflow flowing through the housing and discharged from the slit toward the conveyance path.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes: a head having a nozzle surface having nozzles to discharge a liquid; a head temperature adjuster to adjust head temperature of the head; a temperature sensor to detect: an indoor temperature; or a nozzle surface temperature around the nozzle surface; and circuitry configured to control the head temperature adjuster to adjust the head temperature based on the indoor temperature or the nozzle surface temperature detected by the temperature sensor.

Abstract: A heating device, an image forming apparatus, and a liquid discharge apparatus. The heating device includes a heating roller having heat sources inside to heat a sheet. The heat sources include three or more first heat sources having a same distribution of thermal intensity and a second heat source having a distribution of thermal intensity different from the distribution of the thermal intensity of the first heat sources, and the second heat source is disposed inside a polygon whose vertices are the first heat sources when viewed from one end of the heating roller in a longitudinal direction of the heating roller. The image forming apparatus includes an image forming device to form an image on a sheet, and the heating device to heat the sheet. The liquid discharge apparatus includes a liquid discharge device to discharge liquid onto a sheet, and the heating device to heat the sheet.

Abstract: A liquid discharge apparatus includes a conveyance path, a conveyor, and a liquid discharger. The conveyor conveys a medium in a conveyance direction along the conveyance path. The liquid discharger is disposed above the conveyance path to discharge a liquid toward the medium conveyed by the conveyor. The liquid discharger includes a discharge head, a housing, an airflow generator, and slit. The discharge head has a nozzle from which the liquid is discharged. The housing accommodates the discharge head. The housing has a lower face from which the nozzle of the discharge head is exposed and a slit adjacent to the discharge head in the lower face of the housing. The airflow generator generates an airflow flowing through the housing and discharged from the slit toward the conveyance path.

Abstract: A display and illumination system includes a light source section accommodating a light source; an optical fiber for transmitting light from the light source; a display illumination unit radiating light transmitted by the optical fiber; a light source module installed in the light source section, accommodating the light source, and optically connected to the optical fiber; a plug electrode installed in the light source module and supplying electric power to the light source; a convex portion on a first side of the light source module, engaging the optical fiber, and extracting light from the light source; and a concave portion located opposite the first side of the light source module and urging the convex portion toward the optical fiber with a constant force.

Abstract: A display and illumination system includes a light source section accommodating a light source; an optical fiber for transmitting light from the light source; a display illumination unit radiating light transmitted by the optical fiber; a light source module installed in the light source section, accommodating the light source, and optically connected to the optical fiber; a plug electrode installed in the light source module and supplying electric power to the light source; a convex portion on a first side of the light source module, engaging the optical fiber, and extracting light from the light source; and a concave portion located opposite the first side of the light source module and urging the convex portion toward the optical fiber with a constant force.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser having a ridge structure, comprises a lower cladding layer, an active layer, and an upper cladding layer that are sequentially arranged and supported by a GaAs semiconductor substrate having a misorientation angle of 7 degrees or more. The active layer is AlGaAs. The upper and lower cladding layers are AlGaAsP and the composition ratio of P in the upper and lower cladding layers is higher than 0 and no more than 0.04.

Abstract: In fabricating a semiconductor laser producing light with a wavelength of 770 to 810 nm, impurities are introduced into an MQW active layer near a light emitting facet of the laser to form a disordered region constituting a window layer. Pump light is applied to the window layer to generate photoluminescence whose wavelength ? dpl (nm) is measured. A blue shift amount ? bl (nm) is defined as the difference between the wavelength ? apl (nm) 0f photoluminescence generated by application of pump light to the active layer on the one hand, and the wavelength ? dpl (nm) of photoluminescence from the window layer under pump light irradiation on the other hand. The blue shift amount ? bl is referenced during the fabrication process in order to predict catastrophic optical damage levels of semiconductor lasers.

Abstract: In fabricating a semiconductor laser 10 with an oscillation wavelength of 770 to 810 nm, impurities are introduced into an MQW active layer 16 near a light emitting facet of the laser to form a disordered region constituting a window layer 20. Pumped light is applied to the window layer 20 to generate photo luminescence whose wavelength &lgr; dpl (nm) is measured. A blue shift amount &lgr; bl (nm) is defined as the difference between the wavelength &lgr; apl (nm) of photo luminescence generated by application of pumped light to the active layer 16 on the one hand, and the wavelength &lgr; dpl (nm) of photo luminescence from the window layer 20 under pumped light irradiation on the other hand. The blue shift amount &lgr; bl is referenced during the fabrication process in order to predict COD levels of semiconductor laser products.

Abstract: An objective of this invention is to identify and provide a gene encoding medaka protein B. An additional objective of the present invention is to provide human and murine homologues of the gene. To achieve the above mentioned objectives, the inventors performed positional cloning on the B gene. The gene encoding medaka protein B was successfully isolated, and the present invention has come to completion. Accordingly, in accordance with the invention, there are provided a nucleic acid encoding medaka protein B and those encoding homologues thereof. According to another aspect of the invention, there are provided a nucleic acid listed in Seq. No. 1 that encodes medaka protein B and a nucleic acid listed in Seq. No. 3 that encodes mouse protein B/AIM-1. According to the invention, there is provided a method of suppressing melanin production characterized in that expression of the gene encoding protein B is suppressed.

Abstract: In fabricating a semiconductor laser 10 with an oscillation wavelength of 770 to 810 nm, impurities are introduced into an MQW active layer 16 near a light emitting facet of the laser to form a disordered region constituting a window layer 20. Pumped light is applied to the window layer 20 to generate photo luminescence whose wavelength &lgr; dpl (nm) is measured. A blue shift amount &lgr; bl (nm) is defined as the difference between the wavelength &lgr; apl (nm) of photo luminescence generated by application of pumped light to the active layer 16 on the one hand, and the wavelength &lgr; dpl (nm) of photo luminescence from the window layer 20 under pumped light irradiation on the other hand. The blue shift amount &lgr; bl is referenced during the fabrication process in order to predict COD levels of semiconductor laser products.

Abstract: A forward mesa ridge-embedded semiconductor laser device provides a high power output and includes a base portion of a forward mesa ridge having a narrow width to stabilize transverse mode oscillation and an upper cladding layer having a thickness sufficient to reduce loss of the laser beam, a top portion of the forward mesa ridge being interposed between parts of the current blocking layer to reduce the device resistance. The upper cladding layer includes a first cladding layer having the forward mesa ridge and a second cladding layer opposite the first cladding layer. The second cladding layer is deposited over the first cladding layer through the forward mesa ridge and a current blocking layer is positioned on both sides of the forward mesa ridge.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate, a first conductivity type lower cladding layer, a quantum well structure active layer including alternately laminated barrier and well layers, a disordered region extending to laser resonator facets, a second conductivity type first upper cladding layer disposed on the quantum well structure active layer, a ridge structure disposed on the first cladding layer, and having a first region not proximate the laser resonator facets including a second conductivity type second upper cladding layer and a second conductivity type first contact layer and a second region, proximate a laser resonator facet having a first conductivity type first semiconductor layer of the same material and thickness as the second upper cladding layer and a first conductivity type second semiconductor layer of same material as the first contact layer, a first conductivity type current blocking layer having a band gap energy larger than that of the second upper

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a strained multi-quantum well with alternatingly laminated first barrier layers and well layers with second barrier layers as outermost layers of the strained MQW structure. The strained MQW structure has a safety factor K.sub.safe =3.9; and ##EQU1## Therefore, it is possible to make the strained MQW structure have a sufficient margin with respect to critical conditions concerning the generation of dislocations, and deterioration of operational characteristics in continuous operation of the semiconductor device can be suppressed so that the reliability of the semiconductor device is enhanced.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser device includes: a substrate serving as a heat sink; a thermal buffer plate disposed on the surface of the substrate; a first semiconductor laser chip having first and second main surfaces and including a first light emitting point in the vicinity of the first main surface, the first semiconductor laser chip being disposed on the surface of the thermal buffer plate at the second main surface; spaced apart thermal conductors disposed on the first main surface of the first semiconductor laser chip spaced from the first light emitting point with the first light emitting point between them; a second semiconductor laser chip having third and fourth main surfaces and including a second light emitting point in the vicinity of the third main surface, the second semiconductor laser chip being disposed on the thermal conductors at the third main surface so that the light radiation direction of the second semiconductor laser chip is parallel to the light radiation direction of the first semiconduct

Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a compound semiconductor substrate of a first conductivity type; successively disposed on said semiconductor substrate, a first conductivity type lower cladding layer, an active layer including a multiple quantum well structure, first and second upper cladding layers of a second conductivity type opposite the first conductivity type, and a first contacting layer of the second conductivity type in electrical contact with the second upper cladding layer; first and second electrodes in electrical contact with the semiconductor substrate and the first contacting layer, respectively, the semiconductor laser including opposed facets transverse to the lower cladding and the first and second upper cladding layers, the second upper cladding layer having a ridge shape that extends between the facets of the semiconductor laser and is centrally disposed on the first upper cladding layer; a first conductivity type current blocking layer disposed on and between the first upper cladding layer

Abstract: A semiconductor laser includes a first conductivity type semiconductor substrate having opposite first and second surfaces, a first conductivity type semiconductor layer grown on the first surface, a thin GaInP or AlGaInP active layer having a band gap energy smaller than that of the first conductivity type semiconductor layer, and a second conductivity type semiconductor layer having a band gap energy larger than that of the active layer. The first conductivity type semiconductor layer has a first crystal plane that provides a quantum wire structure of the active layer and second crystal planes disposed at opposite sides of the first crystal plane. The first crystal plane forms a first angle smaller than a prescribed angle with a {100} surface, and the second crystal plane forms a second angle larger than the first angle with the {100} surface.