Abstract: An internal combustion engine capable of reducing an amount of dust taken from an outside air intake opening, with a simple configuration. The internal combustion engine includes a crankshaft, a cooling air intake device that houses a cooling fan coupled to the crankshaft and that includes a cooling air intake port, and an air cleaner device that feeds outside air to an air suction port to a cylinder, and the air cleaner device includes an outside air intake opening that opens toward the cooling air intake port.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a contact-surface determination apparatus includes processing circuitry. This processing circuitry acquires an image depicting a contact surface of a ultrasonic probe, and determines a state of the contact surface of the ultrasonic probe on the basis of the acquired image.

Abstract: A valve spring includes a nitrided layer, and a core portion that is further inward than the nitrided layer. A chemical composition of the core portion consists of, in mass %, C: 0.53 to 0.59%, Si: 2.51 to 2.90%, Mn: 0.70 to 0.85%, P: 0.020% or less, S: 0.020% or less, Cr: 1.40 to 1.70%, Mo: 0.17 to 0.53%, V: 0.23 to 0.33%, Ca: 0.0001 to 0.0050%, Cu: 0.050% or less, Ni: 0.050% or less, Al: 0.0050% or less, Ti: 0.050% or less, and N: 0.0070% or less, with the balance being Fe and impurities. In the core portion, a number density of V-based precipitates having a maximum diameter ranging from 2 to 10 nm is 500 to 8000 per ?m2, and in the core portion, a numerical proportion of Ca sulfides with respect to a total number of oxide-based inclusions and sulfide-based inclusions is 0.20% or less.

Abstract: A scanning optical system (SL) comprises a first lens group (G1) having a negative refractive power, a second lens group (G2) having a positive refractive power, and a third lens group (G3) having a negative refractive power. At least one lens included in any of the first to the third lens groups has a positive refractive power, and satisfies the conditional expression “?d1>80”. At least one lens included in any of the first to the third lens group has a negative refractive power, and satisfies the conditional expression “?d2<50”. The scanning optical system satisfies the conditional expression “h max?18.0 [mm]”.

Abstract: A microscope including an illumination optical system having an objective lens and a fly-eye lens, where: the fly-eye lens having a plurality of lens elements; in the illumination optical system, images of the plurality of lens elements are projected on a pupil of the objective lens; and the number (n1) of the images of the lens elements projected inside the pupil of the objective lens is more than the number (n2) of the images of the lens elements projected on an outer perimeter of the pupil of the objective lens. In the above observation optical system, a first objective lens having a first pupil diameter and a second objective lens having a pupil diameter larger than the first pupil diameter are switchable, and a number n1 may be greater than a number n2 with respect to the first objective lens.

Abstract: A composite cable (4) houses a plurality of leaky coaxial cables having mutually different radiation characteristics. The leaky coaxial cable (2a, 2b) includes therein an inner conductor and an outer conductor, and has a plurality of leakage slots. The plurality of leakage slots have different slot periods relative to the axial direction or arranged in different slot patterns. The digital wireless communication device feeds a high-frequency signal from an end of the composite cable (4) and performs MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) communication.

Abstract: A microscope including an illumination optical system having an objective lens and a fly-eye lens, where: the fly-eye lens having a plurality of lens elements; in the illumination optical system, images of the plurality of lens elements are projected on a pupil of the objective lens; and the number (n1) of the images of the lens elements projected inside the pupil of the objective lens is more than the number (n2) of the images of the lens elements projected on an outer perimeter of the pupil of the objective lens. In the above observation optical system, a first objective lens having a first pupil diameter and a second objective lens having a pupil diameter larger than the first pupil diameter are switchable, and a number n1 may be greater than a number n2 with respect to the first objective lens.

Abstract: A composite cable (4) houses a plurality of leaky coaxial cables having mutually different radiation characteristics. The leaky coaxial cable (2a, 2b) includes therein an inner conductor and an outer conductor, and has a plurality of leakage slots. The plurality of leakage slots have different slot periods relative to the axial direction or arranged in different slot patterns. The digital wireless communication device feeds a high-frequency signal from an end of the composite cable (4) and performs MIMO (multiple-input multiple-output) communication.

Abstract: A confocal scanning microscope including: an objective system (second objective lens 23 and objective lens 24) illuminating a sample SA with illumination light; a scanning mechanism 31 scanning the sample SA to obtain an intensity signal; and a scanning optical system 32 provided between the scanning mechanism and the objective system. The scanning optical system composed of, in order from the scanning mechanism side, a first positive lens group G1, a second negative lens group G2, and a third positive lens group G3. The third lens group has two chromatic aberration correction portions each formed by a positive lens and a negative lens or negative lens and positive lens. Glass materials are selected such that one performs chromatization and the other performs achromatization, thereby providing a confocal scanning microscope capable of correcting lateral chromatic aberration generated in the objective system in the specific wavelength region by the scanning optical system.

Abstract: A printing system includes a first storage part storing printing partners correlated with respective locations and information for estimating respective production capabilities; a second storage part storing distribution partners correlated with respective locations and information for estimating respective delivery capabilities; a printing partner selecting part selecting a single printing partner whose location is in the same area as a delivery destination of a user-ordered print and that is capable of printing the user-ordered print in the shortest delivery time; a distribution partner selecting part selecting a single distribution partner whose location is in the same area as the single printing partner and that is capable of delivering the print in the shortest delivery time; and an order placing part configured to place, via an electrical network, an order for the printing service to the single printing partner and an order for the delivery service to the single distribution partner.

Abstract: A leaky coaxial cable includes: a central conductor; an insulator configured to cover the central conductor; an external conductor wound around the insulator, having a thickness of 5 ?m to 44 ?m, and including multiple slots formed periodically in a longitudinal direction of the cable; a plastic film attached to the external conductor, and having a thickness of 5 ?m to 36 ?m; and an outer sheath configured to cover the external conductor and the plastic film, as well as characterized in that the plastic film is attached to a surface of the external conductor facing the outer sheath.

Abstract: A processing device includes a processing section that performs a processing operation in accordance with an operation by a user; a charging section that accepts payment of a charge in accordance with a use of the processing section, and that, as a result of a returning operation after the use of the processing section, returns change or the cash replacement card after the acceptance of the payment of the charge; a human sensor that detects entry of the user into and leaving of the user from a predetermined close area; and a controller that, if the human sensor detects the leaving of the user from the close area without the returning operation being performed, prohibits the use of the processing section and removal of the change or the cash replacement card to be returned when the change or the cash replacement card to be returned exists.

Abstract: A billing management system includes an image forming device that forms an image, a reading device that reads identification information from an information recording medium that stores the identification information identifying a user of the image forming device, a billing condition management device that manages, in an associated state, the identification information and a billing condition, and a billing information transmitting unit that references the identification information and the billing condition, managed by the billing condition management device, and transmits billing information in accordance with the billing condition corresponding to the identification information read by the reading device.

Abstract: A printing system includes a first storage part storing printing partners correlated with respective predetermined printing fields and respective printing quality evaluation degrees; a second storage part storing distribution partners correlated with respective delivery quality evaluation degrees; a printing partner selecting part configured to select a single printing partner whose predetermined printing field matches a printing field to which a print ordered by a user corresponds and whose printing evaluation degree is the highest among the printing partners; a distribution partner selecting part configured to select a single distribution partner whose delivery quality evaluation degree is the highest among the distribution partners; and an order placing part configured to place, via an electrical network, an order for a printing service for printing the print to the single printing partner and an order for a delivery service for delivering the print to the single distribution partner.

Abstract: A radio communication system has a transmitter and a receiver that transmits and receives, respectively, synchronization signals. The transmitter has a multiple-synchronization-signal generation section configured to generate the synchronization signals, a radio circuit configured to transmit the synchronization signals in a predetermined transmission cycle from a start time of the predetermined transmission cycle and with an interval shorter than the predetermined transmission cycle, and a synchronization signal sequence number generation section configured to assign a sequence number to each of the synchronization signals.

Abstract: A leaky coaxial cable includes an inner conductor member extending in axis direction, to propagate signal; an insulator member covering the inner conductor member; a first outer conductor member having conductor wires on circumference surface of the insulator member with shielding density so as to leak a part of the signal to outside thereof; and a plurality of second outer conductor members contacting the first outer conductor member and arranged with constant pitch in the axis direction, to shield the signal; wherein, in the axis direction, each electrical length of the second outer conductor members is the same as electrical length between adjacent second outer conductor members; and the pitch is in range of 1/(1+0.766?) times to 3/(1+?) times of propagation wavelength of the signal in the inner conductor member, where ? is wavelength shortening coefficient of the propagation wavelength to free-space wavelength of the signal.

Abstract: A frame generation device has a frame generation section that generates a frame including synchronization information for achieving synchronization with a reception device from among a group including one or more reception devices each of which receives information within the frame, address information indicating an address within the frame for transmitting data, and data transmitted to the reception device included in the group. A group-basis distribution data presence/absence information generation section generates group-basis distribution data presence/absence information indicating whether or not the transmitted data is included in the frame. A synchronization information generation section generates synchronization information including the group-basis distribution data presence/absence information. The frame generation section generates the frame such that the group-basis distribution data presence/absence information is allocated prior to the address information.

Abstract: A communication system has a server, base station devices, and terminal devices. The server notifies each base station device of a transmission order of a synchronization signal and of the base station device that is designated as a reference. Each one of the base station devices transmits a synchronization signal to the corresponding terminal device based on the transmission order in a case where the one base station device has been designated as the reference. In the case where the one base station device has not been designated as the reference, the one base station device transmits the synchronization signal to the corresponding terminal device at a timing calculated based on a reception timing by the corresponding terminal device of a synchronization signal received from the reference base station device, a transmission order of the reference base station device, and the transmission order of the one base station device.

Abstract: A distribution data presence/absence information generation section generates distribution data presence/absence information indicating whether or not data is included in a frame. A synchronization information generation section generates synchronization information including the distribution data presence/absence information.

Abstract: An optical system including, in order from an object: a first lens group having positive refractive power; a second lens group having negative refractive power; a third lens group having positive refractive power; and a fourth lens group having negative refractive power. The second lens group has, in order from the object, a front group having negative refractive power and a rear group. In various embodiments, the following conditional expressions are satisfied, 0.4<f2F/f2<1.6 and ?3.0<q2<?0.3 where f2 denotes a focal length of the second lens group, f2F denotes a focal length of the front group, and q2 denotes a form factor of a negative lens disposed closest to the object of the front group.