Abstract: A radiation image storage panel composed at least of a phosphor layer containing energy-storable phosphor particles and a light-reflecting layer provided on one side of the phosphor layer, in which the energy-storable phosphor particles are composed of at least two kinds of particles having different mean sizes, one of which is composed of smaller particles having a mean size of 2.0 to 4.0 ?m and the other of which is composed of larger particles having a mean size of 6.0 to 15 ?m, and a weight ratio between the smaller particles and the larger particles is in the range of 10:90 to 50:50 (former:latter), and in which the light-reflecting layer gives a scattering length of 5 ?m or less (the scattering length is for a stimulating light).

Abstract: A fuel vapor adsorbing device (10, 60, 70, 70?, 80) for adsorbing residual fuel vapors that remain in an intake conduit (1, 2, 3, 4) of an induction system of an internal combustion engine when the internal combustion engine is stopped may include an adsorbing member (40, 40?) that is constructed to adsorb the residual fuel vapors and is disposed along an inner wall surface of the intake conduit. The adsorbing member is arranged and constructed to form a supplemental intake path (T, T?, T??) between the adsorbing member and the inner wall surface of the intake conduit, so that intake air of the engine can flow through the supplemental intake path.

Abstract: A preceding erasure time stored in an IC chip embedded in a stimulable phosphor sheet is read in step S3. After radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet in step S5, an elapsed time up to the present time is calculated in step S6, and a required amount of erasing light corresponding to the elapsed time is read from a required-amount-of-applied-light memory in step S7. An erasing light application time is calculated from the radiation image information and the read required amount of erasing light in step S8. Erasing light sources are energized for the calculated erasing light application time to apply erasing light to the stimulable phosphor sheet to erase remaining radiation energy therefrom in step S10.

Abstract: The present invention relates to bacterial expression vectors. In particular, the present invention provides tightly-regulated bacterial expression vectors designed for the cloning and expression of toxic proteins, RNA, and metabolites in vivo. The present invention thus provides methods of expressing protein and RNAs that were previously not able to be expressed.

Abstract: After a housing of a cassette is opened by a suction cup, then a stimulable phosphor sheet is removed from the cassette by a shiftable roller and then fed in an auxiliary scanning direction by a feed mechanism. While being fed in the auxiliary scanning direction, the stimulable phosphor sheet is irradiated with a laser beam emitted from a stimulating optical system. Light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet upon exposure to the laser beam is guided through a light guide to a photoelectric transducer. After the recorded radiation image information is read from the stimulable phosphor sheet, the stimulable phosphor sheet is stored back into the cassette, and erasing light from erasing light sources is applied to the stimulable phosphor sheet in the cassette to erase remaining radiation image information from the stimulable phosphor sheet.

Abstract: A first oxygen sensor is mounted on an exhaust pipe. An ECU determines an electric power to be fed to a sensor heater, by a heater control quantity calculating block, in accordance with a difference between an actual impedance and a target impedance calculated by a running condition determining block and a specific gas sensitivity priority determining block. As a result, the detection sensitivity of the oxygen sensor to a rich component or a lean component is improved according to the running condition. This improved output is detected by an output detecting block and reflected on the air/fuel ratio control so that an air/fuel ratio is controlled thereby.

Abstract: In a detector apparatus, voltage signals of phase A and phase B are mixed, the mixed signal is divided to obtain a low-voltage signal, and the low-voltage signal is integrally smoothed. The integrally smoothed low-voltage signal is added to each of the voltages obtained by smoothing the voltage signals of the phase A and phase B. The results are used as threshold voltages of comparators constituting a wave-shaping circuit. The threshold voltages change in accordance with the voltage signals of phase A and phase B, achieving a high accuracy of binarization even when the voltage signals Sa and Sb have variations.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel is composed of a phosphor layer containing an energy-storing phosphor and a light-reflecting layer contains particles of light-reflecting material, a binder, and a surface-treatment agent.

Abstract: A canister communicates with an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine through a purge pipe. The canister absorbs fuel vapor evaporated in a fuel tank. The absorbed fuel vapor is purged into the intake manifold when the engine is on. A gas leak check module communicates with the canister for drawing air by an air suction pump 43. When the engine is off, the air suction pump is driven and draws hydrocarbon floating at a vicinity of an intake port through the purge pipe. Thus, the hydrocarbon floating at the vicinity of the intake port is absorbed in the canister so that emission of hydrocarbon is reduced.

Abstract: To detect a failure of the fuel heaters of a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine of vehicles by utilizing a microcomputer of a vehicle operation control device and sensors already provided in the vehicle such as an air/fuel ratio sensor or a crankshaft rotation sensor, with a supplement of substantially only a software, a failure of the heater corresponding to one of the cylinders is detected based upon a change exhibited in at least one parameter with regard to the operating conditions of the engine such as exhaust air/fuel ratio, crankshaft rotation angular speed, etc. by the injected fuel not having been heated as expected by a predetermined operation of each heater.

Abstract: A radiation image storage panel having a stimulable phosphor layer and a light-reflecting layer provided thereon, wherein the phosphor layer scatters both of a stimulating light and a stimulated emission emitted by the phosphor layer with a scattering length of 5 to 20 &mgr;m and said light-reflecting layer scatters a stimulating light with a scattering length of 5 &mgr;m or less is favorably employable for giving a reproduced radiation image having good quality.

Abstract: In a control system of an internal combustion engine including an intake flow control valve disposed downstream of a throttle valve, a controller controls opening and closing of the intake flow control valve, depending upon an operating state of the internal combustion engine. Upon detection of a failure in the intake flow control valve, the controller controls an intake air amount or flow rate to a different value.

Abstract: An intake device of an internal combustion engine is provided that includes an intake flow control valve shaped so as to be capable of effectively forming a tumble flow within a combustion chamber when there is a projection within an intake pipe located downstream of the intake flow control valve. The intake device of the internal combustion engine includes an intake flow control valve between a throttle valve provided within an intake pipe and a fuel injector located downstream of the throttle valve, for producing a tumble flow in a combustion chamber. The intake flow control valve includes a valve body. The valve body has a bypass airflow producing portion formed at a position corresponding to that of the fuel injector (i.e., a projection within the intake pipe) when viewed in a flow direction of the airflow.

Abstract: When starting an engine, the engine is driven by a starting motor and, at the same time, a fuel heating heater can be operated. If the engine is stopped and then immediately restarted, the operation of fuel heating heater is controlled according to the operation time of the fuel heating heater in the last operation. That is, if a period of time is brief between a stopping and a restarting of the engine, heat generated when the fuel heating heater was operated last remains and, in consideration of the amount of that residual heat, generation of heat by the fuel heating heater is restricted.

Abstract: A method of preparing a phosphor layer coating solution of a radiation image conversion panel is provided, in which, at least a phosphor, a binder, a cross-linking agent which cross-links the binder by being heated, and a solvent are constituent components of the phosphor layer coating solution. The method includes a phosphor dispersing step in which the constituent components other than the cross-linking agent are mixed and stirred to disperse the phosphor such that a phosphor dispersion is prepared, a cooling step in which the phosphor dispersion prepared in the phosphor dispersing step is cooled, and a cross-linking agent adding step in which the cross-linking agent is added to the phosphor dispersion cooled in the cooling step and the dispersion is stirred such that the cross-linking agent is thoroughly mixed therewith.

Abstract: A first oxygen sensor is mounted on an exhaust pipe. An ECU determines an electric power to be fed to a sensor heater, by a heater control quantity calculating block, in accordance with a difference between an actual impedance and a target impedance calculated by a running condition determining block and a specific gas sensitivity priority determining block. As a result, the detection sensitivity of the oxygen sensor to a rich component or a lean component is improved according to the running condition. This improved output is detected by an output detecting block and reflected on the air/fuel ratio control so that an air/fuel ratio is controlled thereby.

Abstract: The power circuit device for vehicles is provided with a grounding portion for grounding portions closer to a power consumption device side than a relay of main conductive routes when the relays used for the main conductive routes extending from an accumulator of a vehicle to a fuel heating device, a catalyst heating device, an electric pump, or the like is turned OFF, so that a false power application is not executed even a short-circuit occurs in a part of a power circuit. Also, when two relays are arranged in series, the grounding portion is provided for the relay closer to the power consumption device in order to monitor a voltage level of the main conductive route and make it easy to detect a short-circuit or a disconnection occurrence.

Abstract: An apparatus for conveying a rectangular stimulable phosphor sheet with change of its conveyed course composed of a pair of longitudinal guide plates curved to form an arc, each guide plate being arranged in parallel to each other with a space approximately corresponding to the width of the phosphor sheet; a series of rollers which are so arranged along each of the guide plates to allow advancement of the phosphor sheet between a guide space formed by the guide plate and these rollers; and a pair of driving rollers which are arranged in the vicinity of one ends on imaginary plane extended from the pair of the curved guide plates.