Abstract: An optical device includes a plurality of first optical waveguides (or optical fibers) arranged in the horizontal direction; a plurality of second optical waveguides (or optical fibers) arranged on the same plane as the plane on which the first optical waveguides (or optical fibers) are arranged, the second optical waveguides (or optical fibers) being perpendicular or nearly perpendicular to the first optical waveguides (or optical fibers); and elements to be excited by light rays waveguided in the first and second optical waveguides(or optical fibers), the elements being arranged at crossing portions at which the first and second optical waveguides (or optical fibers) cross each other.

Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor light emitting device whose operating voltage can be easily reduced, a method of producing the same, and an optical device. An n-type clad layer, a first guide layer, an active layer, a second guide layer, a p-type clad layer, a first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer of ZnSe are successively grown on an n-type substrate. An alkali compound layer of Na2Se is then formed thereon. Subsequently, a heat treatment is performed by means of irradiation of an excimer laser beam so that at least a part of the second semiconductor layer and at least a part of the alkali compound layer are altered thereby forming a contact layer. Furthermore, a p-side electrode is formed on the contact layer. The contact layer contains an alkali metal serving as a p-type impurity so that the contact layer has a low electric resistance thereby achieving a reduction in the operating voltage and thus a reduction in the operating power.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to electronic commerce and more particularly to consumer goods offered by a distributor over a communications network, for example, the Internet. One embodiment of the present invention provides a method for determining goods offered to a consumer by a distributor based on the distributor's business strategy. The consumer specifies his/her needs and the distributor first finds goods that meets the consumers needs. The distributor then prioritizes these goods based on the distributor's own business needs and offers the customer only those goods that meet both the customer's and the distributor's needs. Thus a distributor filtered viewpoint of the goods is displayed to the customer.

Abstract: A formed article of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin which has been adapted for use in a sliding member by restoring the wear resistance once degraded by the addition of reinforcing fibers to the normal level is disclosed. This formed article comprises a fiber-reinforced resin material of a thermoplastic resin containing reinforcing fibers and incorporating therein additionally as a sliding property-imparting agent a material having a storage elastic modulus in the range of 3.5×108 Pa to 5.0×108 Pa in a service temperature range of 30° C. to 70° C. The ratio of incorporation of the sliding property-imparting agent is properly in the range of 4 to 10% by weight when the matrix resin is a polyamide-based resin or 4 to 20% by weight when the matrix resin is a thermoplastic resin other than the polyamide-based resin, respectively based on the total weight of the resin and the reinforcing fibers.

Abstract: A formed article of fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin which has been adapted for use in a sliding member by restoring the wear resistance once degraded by the addition of reinforcing fibers to the normal level is disclosed. This formed article comprises a fiber-reinforced resin material of a thermoplastic resin containing reinforcing fibers and incorporating therein additionally as a sliding property-imparting agent a material having a storage elastic modulus in the range of 3.5×108 Pa to 5.0×108 Pa in a service temperature range of 30° C. to 70° C. The ratio of incorporation of the sliding property-imparting agent is properly in the range of 4 to 10% by weight when the matrix resin is a polyamide-based resin or 4 to 20% by weight when the matrix resin is a thermoplastic resin other than the polyamide-based resin, respectively based on the total weight of the resin and the reinforcing fibers.

Abstract: A virtual company acting as an intermediary for transactions manages accounts receivable and the accounts payable accrued between a seller organization and a buyer organization based on the ordering and order-receiving data, transfers funds and provides the financial services based on the accounts receivable. The virtual company relays the data from a party in transactions to the other party, prepares the accounts payable data and the payment management data for the buyer organization and sends them to the buyer organization, while preparing the inspected goods accounts receivable data and the receipts management data for the seller organization and sends them to the seller organization. The virtual company requests a bank to transfer funds, and notifies the seller organization that the financial services are available for the seller organization based on the accounts receivable accrued to the seller organization before the payment.

Abstract: An information receiving/display apparatus, which can receive and display third sensory information such as tactual information or olfactory information in addition to visual information and/or audio information, receives information recognizable by at least one of remotely discernible senses (visual sense, auditory sense, olfactory sense) and information recognizable by at least one of proximately discernible senses (tactual sense, gustatory sense), and displays them on an information display plane. A number of image display optical fibers and tactual representation fibers both having cores made of a liquid are arranged in alignment, and a number of image display control signal lines and tactual representation control signal lines both made of piezoelectric element are aligned across the fibers, thereby to form the information receiving/display apparatus.

Abstract: A point exchange site receive point exchange request from a member as a customer via a member terminal in the point exchange site or via a terminal such as a personal computer near the member. The point exchange site notifies the exchange request to each card company for the exchange request. Each card company converts the exchange point value according to an exchange rate to update a point balance, increased or decreased, of the customer. Or, the card company notifies the new exchange point value resultant from the conversion to the point exchange site. According to responses from the card companies, the point exchange site completes the point exchange for the card of the customer and notifies the point exchange completion to the customer.

Abstract: In accordance with the invention, a method and system is provided wherein IC card information can be changed in either of two ways: (1) the information stored in IC card is changed independently of the information that the center facility maintains, and then the corresponding IC card information maintained by the center facility is updated to reflect the changes made in the IC card, and (2) the IC card information maintained in the center apparatus is changed, and then the corresponding information in the IC card is updated to reflect the changes made in the center apparatus.

Abstract: A method and system for managing the overall life cycle of a product from its manufacture to its destruction or recycling. To the product is affixed a storage medium storing a product identifier uniquely identifying the product and information about the parts that are contained in the product. At each site that the product passes through during its life cycle, product life cycle information is recorded in the storage medium affixed to the product. When the product is to be destroyed or recycled, the information stored in the recording medium is used to determine the method for destroying or recycling. The product is then destroyed or recycled according to this method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a therapeutic or prophylactic agent as a substitute for conventional steroids or immunosuppressive agents to treat or prevent systemic erythematosus, glomerulonephritis, lupus nephritis, idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura or autoimmune anemia.

Abstract: In accordance with an embodiment of the invention, accounting system terminals of companies having mutual transactions and a bond service handling server at a bond company are interconnected via a network. A company which intends to enter transactions opens, beforehand, a securities deposit account at the bond company by buying investment trust or the like. A company having trade accounts receivable or payable connects its accounting system terminal to the bond service handling server via the network, and requests the server to settle transactions utilizing the securities deposit account. In settling the trade accounts receivable and payable, the requested securities service handling server performs the fund transfer through sale and purchase of bonds, such as investment trust possessed by respective companies, from the proper deposit account, thus, increasing and reducing the balance of the respective securities deposit accounts.

Abstract: Information of credit cards from a plurality of card companies is previously stored in an IC card, and information of a member who possesses the IC card having a plurality of credit card functions is previously registered in a card company processor. When the IC card is used in a member shop, a terminal in the member shop identifies that the IC card has a plurality of credit card functions, and when carrying out the transaction between a customer and the member shop, establishes the connection to the card company processor. The card company processor establishes the communication with a card company processor specified by the customer. Accordingly, a plurality of credit card functions are provided in one IC card with a plurality of account numbers corresponding thereto.

Abstract: A photon operating device is capable of more effectively using five senses and muscular or other functions humans have, and capable of performing various kinds of information processing as high-level interface connecting image information of natural worlds and human brains. The photon operating device comprises a plurality of first optical fibers, a plurality of second optical fibers, which both are arranged in form of a grating on a two-dimensional plane, semiconductor lasers and CCD line sensors, which both are disposed at one-side ends and the other ends of the first optical fibers, respectively. A photon beam introduced from a light source into one end of a selected first optical fiber is divided into two correlated dual signals, i.e. a first signal traveling through the selected first optical fiber and a second signal led out from the selected first optical fiber externally of the two-dimensional plane, at an intersection between the first and second optical fibers by an optical switch.

Abstract: A method and system for managing the overall life cycle of a product from its manufacture to its destruction or recycling. To the product is affixed a storage medium storing a product identifier uniquely identifying the product and information about the parts that are contained in the product. At each site that the product passes through during its life cycle, product life cycle information is recorded in the storage medium affixed to the product. When the product is to be destroyed or recycled, the information stored in the recording medium is used to determine the method for destroying or recycling. The product is then destroyed or recycled according to this method.

Abstract: The invention provides a semiconductor light emitting device whose operating voltage can be easily reduced, a method of producing the same, and an optical device. An n-type clad layer, a first guide layer, an active layer, a second guide layer, a p-type clad layer, a first semiconductor layer, and a second semiconductor layer of ZnSe are successively grown on an n-type substrate. An alkali compound layer of Na2Se is then formed thereon. Subsequently, a heat treatment is performed by means of irradiation of an excimer laser beam so that at least a part of the second semiconductor layer and at least a part of the alkali compound layer are altered thereby forming a contact layer. Furthermore, a p-side electrode is formed on the contact layer. The contact layer contains an alkali metal serving as a p-type impurity so that the contact layer has a low electric resistance thereby achieving a reduction in the operating voltage and thus a reduction in the operating power.

Abstract: The present invention provides remedies for graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft rejection reactions in organ transplantation which comprise retinoic acid receptor (RAR) agonists as an active ingredient. Main examples thereof include 9-(4-methoxy-2,3,6-trimethylphenyl)-7,8-dimethylnona-2,4,6,8-tetraen-1-oic acid, 4-[(E)-2-(5,6,7,8-tetrahydro-5,5,8,8-tetramethylnaphthalen-2-yl)propenyl]benzoic acid, 4-{2-[5-(4,7-dimethylbenzofuran-2-yl)pyrroyl]}benzoic acid, 4-{2-[5-(5-chloro-7-ethylbenzofuran-2-yl)pyrrolyl]}benzoic acid and 4-{2-[5-(4,7-dimethylbenzothiophen-2-yl)pyrrolyl]}benzoic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a formed article made of a biodegradable resin material which maintains strength sufficient for practical use and, when discarded after use, succumbs to decomposition by the action of microorganisms occurring in the physical world without bringing destruction on the physical environment or inducing public nuisance in consequence of the decomposition. The formed article is formed of a multicomponent polymer material comprising a continuous phase and a disperse phase; the continuous phase is made of a polybutylene succinate type and/or polyethylene adipate type aliphatic polyester and the disperse phase is made of polylactic acid. The continuous phase may comprise the aliphatic polyester containing such an inorganic filler as talc or calcium carbonate. The formed article of biodegradable resin constructed as described above may be manufactured in arbitrarily selected shapes and used for products in various fields, particularly for slide fasteners and separable fasteners.

Abstract: A selfluminous display device having distinct blue (B), green (G) and red (R) light emission sources wherein the spectra of the light emission sources each have a narrow half band width (30 nm or less) at a level regarded as precursor delta functions, which do not mutually substantially overlap. Because light sources having spectra of limited peak values and extremely narrow limited widths are used, shape changes of the spectrum in each light source are suppressed in the wavelength space and can be regarded as purely magnitude changes. Therefore, it becomes possible to correct just by changing the strength for each light emission source, color reproducibility increases and there ceases to be any change over time in the colors.

Abstract: A semiconductor laser comprises: a first cladding layer of a first conduction type; an active layer stacked on the first cladding layer; and a second cladding layer of a second conduction type stacked on the active layer. The first cladding layer, the active layer and the second cladding layer are made of II-VI compound semiconductors. Pulse oscillation occurs with characteristics of a threshold current Ith(A), a threshold voltage Vth(V) of the diode composed of the first cladding layer, the active layer and the second cladding layer, a differential resistance RS(Q) of the diode after the rising, a thermal resistance Rt(K/W) and a characteristic temperature T0(K). When two amounts &agr; and &bgr; are defined by: &agr;≡(Rt/T0)Ithvth &bgr;≡(Rt/T0)RSTth2 the point (&agr;,&bgr;) exists in an area on the &agr;-&bgr; plane surrounded by the straight line &agr;=0, the straight line &bgr;=0, and the curve ((2ln t−1)/t, (1−ln t)/t2) having t as a parameter.