Abstract: In a network print system in which a printer and at least one client are connected to each other through a network, and at least a part of a job for the printer can be subjected to load distributed processing by grid computing, wherein when a printer driver of the printer is installed on any one of the at least one client, the system is adapted to build a grid computing network. In this arrangement, it is easily to build the grid computing network in which the printer job is subjected to load distributed processing.

Abstract: In the case in which a fuel cell has a structure in which a cathode (2) and an anode (1) are opposed with the intermediary of an electrolyte layer (3) and the cathode (2) is formed of an electrode to which an oxygen reductase and so on is immobilized and this electrode has pores inside, at least part of the surface of this electrode is rendered water repellent. For example, the surface of the electrode is rendered water repellent by forming a water-repellent agent on the surface of this electrode. Thereby, in the case in which the cathode is formed of an electrode to which an enzyme is immobilized and this electrode has pores inside, a fuel cell that can stably achieve a high current value by optimization of the amount of water contained in the cathode and a manufacturing method thereof are provided.

Abstract: A fuel cell is provided having excellent performance and being capable of achieving a sufficient buffer ability in a high-output operation when an enzyme is immobilized on at least one of a positive electrode and a negative electrode and of sufficiently exhibiting the ability inherent in the enzyme. A biofuel cell includes a structure in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are opposed to each other with an electrolyte layer containing a buffer material provided therebetween, an enzyme being immobilized on at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode. The electrolyte layer contains as the buffer material a compound including an imidazole ring. As the compound including an imidazole ring, imidazole, 1-methylimidazole, 2-methylimidazole, 4-methylimidazole, 2-ethylimidazole, or the like is used.

Abstract: A mutant protein having diaphorase activity is provided. A mutant protein includes an amino acid sequence obtained by deletion, replacement, addition, or insertion of at least one amino acid residue of a native-form amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. No. 1, wherein the mutant protein has diaphorase activity with an enzyme activity of 245 or more.

Abstract: A driver state estimation device 1 includes a steering angle sensor 2 detecting a steering angle of a steering, a steering torque sensor 3 detecting steering torque applied to the steering, and an ECU 4 having a steering angle estimation unit 5 and a driver state estimation unit 6. The steering angle estimation unit 5 is input with a steering angle (steering angle detected value) MA detected by the steering angle sensor 2 and steering torque (steering torque detected value) MT detected by the steering torque sensor 3, determines whether the steering angle detected value MA is 0 or not, when the steering angle detected value MA is 0, calculates a steering angle estimated value MAest by multiplying the steering torque detected value MT by the gradient of the steering angle (proportionality coefficient) a with respect to the steering torque, and when the steering angle detected value MA is not 0, sets the steering angle detected value MA as the steering angle estimated value MAest.

Abstract: The extender lens apparatus is detachably attached to an image-forming optical system including a first main lens unit disposed closest to an object and a second main lens unit disposed between the first main lens unit and an image plane. The apparatus includes a first extender lens unit to be inserted in a space closer to the first main lens unit than the second main lens unit, and a second extender lens unit to be inserted in a space closer to the image plane than the second main lens unit. The first extender lens unit has a magnification increasing effect. The apparatus is capable of varying a magnification of the image-forming optical system while maintaining good optical performance without greatly increasing the entire length of the image-forming optical system.

Abstract: A vehicle steering control apparatus (10) is provided with: a steering force applying device (15, 30) for applying a steering force front wheels (5, 6); and a lateral force detecting device (42) for detecting a lateral force of each of the front wheels and rear wheels (7, 8), the steering force applying device applying, to the front wheels, a convergent steering force which steers the front wheels in a direction in which yaw oscillation converges, if a ratio of the lateral force (Fr) of the rear wheels to the lateral force (Ff) of the front wheels becomes a ratio of possibly causing the yaw oscillation in a vehicle (1).

Abstract: A water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion ink which is suitable for use in inkjet printing and is low in viscosity and superior in storage stability is provided. The ink comprises an oil phase and a water phase emulsified in the oil phase using a nonionic surfactant, in which the water phase contains a salt of at least one metal selected from potassium or calcium. The metal salt is preferably a calcium salt, and particular preferably calcium chloride. The nonionic surfactant is preferably a polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and particularly preferably an esterification product of a polyglycerin and a hydroxy fatty acid. Preferably, the ink comprises 40-99 mass % of the oil phase and 60-1 mass % of the water phase, and contains a polyglycerin fatty acid ester in an amount of 0.5-40 mass % based on the total of the ink.

Abstract: A water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion which is stable even with a high water content is provided. The water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion is obtained by a three-phase emulsification using a reverse vesicle of an amphiphilic compound as an emulsifier. As the amphiphilic compound, a sucrose fatty acid ester is preferable, and a sucrose fatty acid ester with an HLB value of 6-12 is more preferable. The reverse vesicle can be prepared by mixing an amphiphilic compound with a non-polar solvent. The water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion can be formed by using the prepared mixture containing the reverse vesicle as an oil phase and adding water thereto for emulsification. As the non-polar solvent, an alicyclic hydrocarbon solvent such as cyclohexane is preferable. The reverse vesicle preferably has a particle diameter of not more than 1 ?m.

Abstract: In order to provide a thermal printer capable of sorting recording sheets with different print patterns without providing a complex mechanism to enable a user to easily receive a discharged sheet, On the downstream side of a print unit (21) in a conveying direction of a recording sheet (P1), a presenter (70) for discharging the recording sheet (P1), on which printing has been performed by a thermal head (30), to exterior is provided. The presenter (70) is supported turnably by a turning shaft (23).

Abstract: In order to provide a thermal printer capable of restraining automatically-continued rotation of roll paper after stop of rotation of a platen roller without damaging the roll paper, and of smoothly performing an initial operation of the roll paper, the thermal printer is characterized in that a roll paper holding mechanism (20) comprises: a shaft (52) inserted into a hollow (10) of roll paper (P) to support the roll paper (P); and a holder (51) including supporting portions (55) and (56) for supporting poles (61) of the shaft (52), and in that the roll paper (P) is supported rotatably with respect to the shaft (52), whereas the shaft (52) is supported unrotatably with respect to the holder (51).

Abstract: An enzyme-immobilized electrode is provided and includes an electrode composed of porous carbon or the like, a phospholipid layer on the electrode (11), and enzymes immobilized onto the phospholipid layer. The enzymes are, for example, diaphorase and glucose dehydrogenase. An intermediate layer composed of a protein or the like may be provided between the electrode and the phospholipid layer. By using the enzyme-immobilized electrode as a negative electrode or a positive electrode in a fuel cell using an enzyme, one or a plurality of types of enzymes can be immobilized at optimal positions on the electrode, and thus, there are provided a highly efficient enzyme-immobilized electrode and a highly efficient fuel cell using the enzyme-immobilized electrode.

Abstract: A titanium dioxide powder which has a rutile content of 80% or more and a BET surface area of 30 m2/g or more; and a method for producing the titanium dioxide powder wherein a titanium tetrachloride gas, an oxygen gas, a hydrogen gas, and steam are reacted in a gas phase, which comprises supplying the steam in the chemically equivalent amount necessary for oxidizing all of the titanium tetrachloride gas or more. The titanium dioxide powder is suitably used as a coating material for a glass substrate and a filler. The method can be employed for arbitrarily producing a titanium dioxide powder which is composed of fine particles having a great specific surface area and also has a very high rutile content or an anatase type titanium dioxide powder having a high specific surface area.

Abstract: A porous electroconductive material is provided. The electroconductive material enables efficient enzymatic metabolic reactions on electrodes and yields electrodes having immobilized enzymes thereon which remain stable in any working environment. The porous electroconductive material, which has a three-dimensional network structure, is formed from a skeleton of porous material and a carbonaceous material covering the surface of the skeleton. The porous material constituting the skeleton is foamed metal or alloy. This porous electroconductive material is made into an electrode, and enzymes are immobilized on this electrode. The resulting electrode with immobilized enzymes thereon is used as the anode of a bio-fuel cell.

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: An anatase-type titanium oxide powder having a ratio of rutile to anatase of 10% or less and a BET specific surface area of 20 to 80 m2/g. Since the titanium oxide powder has a large specific surface area and a low ratio of rutile to anatase in comparison with a conventional titanium oxide powder and excels in dispersibility, the titanium oxide powder is suitable for various applications.

Abstract: A mutant protein having diaphorase activity is provided. A mutant protein includes an amino acid sequence obtained by deletion, replacement, addition, or insertion of at least one amino acid residue of a native-form amino acid sequence of SEQ. ID. No. 1, wherein the mutant protein has diaphorase activity with an enzyme activity of 245 or more.

Abstract: A water-in-oil (W/O) emulsion ink which is suitable for use in inkjet printing and is low in viscosity and superior in storage stability is provided. The ink comprises an oil phase and a water phase emulsified in the oil phase using a nonionic surfactant, in which the water phase contains a salt of at least one metal selected from potassium or calcium. The metal salt is preferably a calcium salt, and particular preferably calcium chloride. The nonionic surfactant is preferably a polyglycerin fatty acid ester, and particularly preferably an esterification product of a polyglycerin and a hydroxy fatty acid. Preferably, the ink comprises 40-99 mass % of the oil phase and 60-1 mass % of the water phase, and contains a polyglycerin fatty acid ester in an amount of 0.5-40 mass % based on the total of the ink.

Abstract: A biofuel cell has a structure in which a cathode and an anode are opposed to each other with a electrolyte layer provided therebetween, at least one of the cathode and the anode including an electrode on which at least one enzyme and at least one electron mediator are immobilized. The concentration of the electron mediator immobilized on the electrode is at least 10 times a Michaelis constant Km of the electron mediator for the enzyme, which is determined by measurement in a solution.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a fuel cell having a structure in which a positive electrode and a negative electrode are opposed with a proton conductor therebetween and an enzyme is immobilized on the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode includes the step of immobilizing the enzyme on the positive electrode and/or the negative electrode with a photo-curable resin and/or a thermosetting resin. A photo-curable resin and/or a thermosetting resin may be further laminated on the photo-curable resin and/or the thermosetting resin which have immobilized the enzyme.