Abstract: A fuel cell is provided. The fuel cell includes at least one of a plant essential oil and a plant essential oil ingredient in an effective amount so as to function as a biological repellent.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a system for inquiring about fitness of a beverage as battery fuel, including a search request receiving section configured to receive an input of beverage information regarding a beverage as a search request, a storage section having stored therein a reference database in which search requests and performance data of fuel cells are associated with each other, a search section configured to automatically search the reference database for performance data which coincides with the search request, and a search answer outputting section configured to output a search answer.

Abstract: A fuel cell is provided having a structure in which a cathode and an anode face each other with an electrolyte layer therebetween. The cathode includes an electrode on which an oxygen reductase and the like are immobilized, and the electrode has pores therein, water repellency is imparted to at least part of the surface of the electrode. Water repellency is imparted by forming a water-repellent agent on the surface of the electrode. The water-repellent agent includes a water-repellent material such as carbon powder and an organic solvent such as methyl isobutyl ketone that causes phase separation with water. When the electrode has pores therein, there are provided a fuel cell that stably provides a high current value and a method for manufacturing the fuel cell.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a rear group including at least one lens unit. The first lens unit, the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and the rear group are arranged in order from an object side to an image side. The second and third lens units move for zooming. Imaging magnifications of the second lens unit at a wide angle end and a telephoto end, imaging magnifications of the third lens unit at the wide angle end and the telephoto end, a moving amount of the third lens unit along an optical axis during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, and a total lens length at the telephoto end are set based on predetermined conditions.

Abstract: There are provided a fuel cell and a production method therefor in which one or more types of enzymes or further coenzymes are enclosed in a micro space so that electrons can be efficiently extracted from a fuel such as glucose or the like by an enzyme reaction using the micro space as a reaction field, thereby producing electric energy, and in which the enzyme or further the coenzyme can be easily immobilized on an electrode. Enzymes 13 and 14 and a coenzyme 15 necessary for an enzyme reaction are enclosed in liposome 12, and the liposome 12 is immobilized on a surface of an electrode composed of porous carbon or the like to form an enzyme-immobilized electrode. An antibiotic 16 is bonded to a bimolecular lipid membrane constituting the liposome 12 to form one or more pores 17 permeable to glucose. The enzyme-immobilized electrode is used as, for example, a negative electrode of a biofuel cell.

Abstract: A screw fastening device having a compact clutch that is directly connected to an output side of a DC motor. The output of the DC motor can be suppressed so that the DC motor and the clutch can be made compact. Accordingly, the device main body is more compact and lighter.

Abstract: A fuel cell which can directly extract electric power from a polysaccharide, such as starch, is provided. A fuel electrode is formed by immobilizing with an immobilizer, on an electrode comprised of, e.g., carbon, an enzyme responsible for decomposing a polysaccharide into monosaccharides, an enzyme responsible for decomposing the monosaccharide formed, a coenzyme (e.g., NAD+ or NADP+) which forms a reductant due to the oxidation reaction in the monosaccharide decomposition process, a coenzyme oxidase (e.g., diaphorase) for oxidizing the reductant of the coenzyme (e.g., NADH or NADPH), and an electron mediator (e.g., ACNQ or vitamin K3) for receiving electrons generated due to the oxidation of the coenzyme from the coenzyme oxidase and delivering the electrons to the electrode. The fuel cell comprises the fuel electrode and the air electrode that sandwich an electrolyte layer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a fuel reformer which enables power generation to be actually performed even in the case of using very-safe familiar things such as food and drink and food scraps as a fuel of a biofuel cell. The fuel reformer is used for a fuel cell which generates power as an oxidation reduction reaction progresses using enzyme as a catalyst, and has: a primary fuel introduction unit for introducing a primary fuel; a fuel reforming unit communicating with the primary fuel introduction unit and reforming the primary fuel to a secondary fuel from which electrons can be emitted by an oxidation reduction reaction using enzyme as a catalyst; and a secondary fuel supplying unit communicating with the fuel reforming unit and supplying the secondary fuel to the fuel cell.

Abstract: If a print job is designated to interrupt print, processing of any print job currently being processed is interrupted, print processing of the instructed print job is immediately performed and resumption of the interrupted print job is automatically performed afterward. Further, if an interrupt print occurs, the sending source of the interrupted print jobs (host computers, etc.) are notified that an interrupt occurred.

Abstract: A fuel cell and a method for manufacturing the same are provided, wherein at least one type of enzyme and coenzyme are confined in a minute space, an enzyme reaction is effected while this space serves as a reaction field. Thereby, electrons can be taken out of the fuel efficiently to generate electrical energy, and immobilization of these enzyme and coenzyme on an electrode can be performed easily. The enzyme and the coenzyme required for an enzyme reaction are encapsulated in a liposome, and the resulting liposome is immobilized on the surface of an electrode formed from porous carbon or the like so as to form an enzyme immobilization electrode. A transporter is incorporated in the liposome, as necessary. An electron mediator is also immobilized on the surface of the electrode. The resulting enzyme immobilization electrode is used as, for example, a negative electrode of a biofuel cell.

Abstract: Provided is an enzyme electrode in which oxidation-reduction reactions proceed with an enzyme acting as a catalyst, and the enzyme is modified to increase affinity and/or reaction rate with a reaction substrate or an electron transfer mediator by adding or inserting at least one codon encoding a particular amino acid residue to or into a base sequence encoding the enzyme, and is immobilized. Since the oxidation-reduction reactions on the electrode proceed highly efficiently, the enzyme electrode can cause to increase the obtained output of electric energy and thus can be suitably used in all types of fuel cells, biosensors, and electronic apparatuses.

Abstract: A fuel cell having excellent properties is provided in which, when an enzyme is immobilized in at least one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode, a sufficient buffering capability can be provided even in a high power output operation and the inherent capability of the enzyme can be sufficiently exerted. In a biofuel cell including a structure in which a positive electrode 2 and a negative electrode 1 face each other with an electrolyte layer 3 therebetween, the electrolyte layer 3 containing a buffer material, and the biofuel cell including an enzyme immobilized in at least one of the positive electrode 2 and the negative electrode 1, the electrolyte layer 3 contains a compound including an imidazole ring as a buffer material and at least one acid selected from the group consisting of acetic acid, phosphoric acid, and sulfuric acid is further added to the electrolyte layer 3.

Abstract: There is provided a fuel cell whose current density and maintenance ratio can be improved when at least glucose dehydrogenase and diaphorase are immobilized on an anode using an immobilizing material composed of poly-L-lysine and glutaraldehyde. The fuel cell has a structure in which a cathode 2 and an anode 1 face each other with an electrolyte layer 3 therebetween, the anode 1 being obtained by immobilizing at least glucose dehydrogenase and diaphorase on an electrode using an immobilizing material composed of poly-L-lysine and glutaraldehyde, wherein the mass ratio of the poly-L-lysine to the glutaraldehyde in an immobilizing material is 5:1 to 80:1, the mass ratio of the glucose dehydrogenase to the diaphorase is 1:3 to 200:1, and the average molecular weight of the poly-L-lysine is 21500 or more.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power, a third lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a rear group including at least one lens unit. The first lens unit, the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and the rear group are arranged in order from an object side to an image side. The second and third lens units move for zooming. Imaging magnifications of the second lens unit at a wide angle end and a telephoto end, imaging magnifications of the third lens unit at the wide angle end and the telephoto end, a moving amount of the third lens unit along an optical axis during zooming from the wide angle end to the telephoto end, and a total lens length at the telephoto end are set based on predetermined conditions.

Abstract: In a computer system including a job scheduler which divides an input job and determines a client apparatus to assign the divided job, and a task manager which transmits the divided job to the client apparatus determined by the job scheduler, the job scheduler assigns the same job to a plurality of client apparatuses when the number of client apparatuses is larger than the number of divided jobs, and when the job is finished in one of the plurality of client apparatuses assigned the same job, execution of the job in the remaining client apparatuses is canceled so that the time until all jobs are finished is shortened.

Abstract: A fuel cell and an electronic device equipped therewith are disclosed. The fuel cell is of the type having a cathode and an anode facing each other with a proton conductor interposed therebetween, with at least either of the cathode or anode having an enzyme as a catalyst immobilized thereon, wherein at least a first cathode, a first proton conductor, an anode, a second proton conductor, and a second cathode are sequentially placed thereon, and in fuel is held in contact with at least part of the anode.

Abstract: A zoom lens includes a first lens unit having a negative refractive power, a second lens unit having a positive refractive power, and a third lens unit having a positive refractive power. The first lens unit, the second lens unit, and the third lens unit are arranged in order from an object side to an image side. Distances between the lens units change during zooming. The first lens unit consists of two lenses. Radii of curvature of a lens surface closest to the object side and a lens surface closest to the image side in the first lens unit, a focal length of the first lens unit, and a focal length of the entire zoom lens at a telephoto end are set appropriately.

Abstract: Provided is a zoom lens including in order from an object side to an image side: a first lens unit having a positive refractive power; a second lens unit having a negative refractive power; a third lens unit having a positive refractive power; and a fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, each of the first lens unit, the second lens unit, the third lens unit, and fourth lens unit moving to perform zooming, in which M3 representing a moving amount of the third lens unit on an optical axis during zooming from a wide angle end to a telephoto end, Lt representing a total lens length on the telephoto end, f3 representing a focal length of the third lens unit, and ft representing a focal length of an entire lens system on the telephoto end are each appropriately set.

Abstract: To provide a fuel cell that can perform efficient power generation through a simple fuel supply. There is provided a fuel cell that generates electricity through progress of an oxidation-reduction reaction using an enzyme as a catalyst, the fuel cell including at least a fuel-vaporizing layer formed through vaporization of a fuel; an anode to which a vaporized fuel is supplied from the fuel-vaporizing layer; and a cathode connected to the anode in a state in which protons can be conducted. In the fuel cell, since a fuel is supplied to an electrode in a vaporized state, a vaporized fuel is supplied to an inner portion of the electrode and a reaction sufficiently proceeds at the inner surface of the electrode, which can achieve high output due to efficient power generation.

Abstract: An electrode that can generate reduced coenzymes from a desired substrate in multiple stages is provided. An electrode includes a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid synthase, a 2-oxo acid synthase, and a 2-oxo acid carboxylyase. The electrode includes a 2-oxo acid carboxylyase, which is a decarboxylase, in addition to a 2-hydroxycarboxylic acid synthase and a 2-oxo acid synthase, which are oxidoreductases; therefore, oxidation products having carboxyl groups, reactions of which do not proceed with oxidoreductases, can be decarboxylated and modified into substances with which oxidoreductases can act. Thus, oxidation reactions and decarboxylation reactions can repeatedly proceed with respect to desired substrates, and large quantities of reduced coenzymes can be generated thereby.