Abstract: Provided is an aromatic ring compound having a GPR40 agonist activity. A compound represented by the formula (I): wherein each symbol is as described in the DESCRIPTION, or a salt thereof has a GPR40 agonist activity, and is useful as an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes and the like.

Abstract: A driving device includes a switching power supply circuit to convert input power to output power; a first switching element which opens and closes a circuit of a load; an output capacitor connected in parallel to the load and the first switching element; a selection switch disposed between the inductor and the output capacitor, the selection switch switching between a first selection state where the load is electrically connected to the inductor and the second selection state where a reference potential portion is electrically connected to the inductor; a timing controller which operates the switching power supply circuit while the first switching element is closed; and a controller which puts the selection switch into the second selection state before the first switching element is closed.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a solar cell includes a first center alignment step S10 of setting a substrate center position as a reference position for processing of an impurity implanting step S20 and a second center alignment step S30 of setting a substrate center position as a reference position for processing of an electrode forming step S40.

Abstract: A wastewater treatment device includes a first biological treatment device (10) that treats wastewater through a membrane-separated activated sludge method; a second biological treatment device (20) that treats wastewater through a biofilm method; measurement units (31, 32) that measure load concentration and flow rate in the wastewater flowing upstream of the first biological treatment device (10) and the second biological treatment device (20); and a control unit (30) that calculates a load quantity from the load concentration and the flow rate, determines, according to the load quantity, a distribution ratio between a flow rate of the wastewater supplied to the first biological treatment device (10) and a flow rate of the wastewater supplied to the second biological treatment device (20), and adjusts the flow rate of the wastewater supplied to the first biological treatment device (10) and the second biological treatment device (20), based on the distribution ratio.

Abstract: Provided is a wastewater treatment device that can reduce the fluoride ion concentration in industrial wastewater to improve the recovery rate of purified water. A wastewater treatment device (1) includes a biological treatment unit (3) that decomposes and eliminates organic matter in wastewater by means of microorganisms, and a desalinization unit (4) that is provided downstream of the biological treatment unit (3) and eliminates salt-forming ionic components from within the wastewater. A pretreatment unit (2), which removes components, such as heavy metals or oil contained in the wastewater, which inhibit the function of the biological treatment unit (3) or the desalinization unit (4), is provided upstream of the biological treatment unit (3), and the pretreatment unit (2) is provided with a fluoride concentration reduction unit that reduces the concentration of fluoride ions in the wastewater by eliminating the fluoride ions from within the wastewater.

Abstract: A mobile phone terminal has a positional information acquisition unit acquiring present positional information indicating a present position, a destination information acquisition unit acquiring destination information specifying a destination (where to return, and where to go), a navigation unit navigating a route from a position specified by the present positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit to a destination specified by the destination information, upon activation, a distance acquisition unit acquiring a distance between a position specified by the present positional information acquired by the positional information acquisition unit and a destination specified by the destination information, and an activation control unit activating the navigation unit depending on a distance acquired by the distance acquisition unit.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a superconducting single flux quantum integrated circuit device, and eliminates the return current from a bias current and the effect the bias current itself has on SFQ logic circuits in a chip. A bias power source line for supplying a DC bias current for the superconducting single flux quantum integrated circuit in a chip and a bias drawing power source line for drawing said DC bias current to the outside of the chip are provided, the end of the bias drawing power source line is connected to the ground plane of the chip via a thin-film resistor having a plurality of resistance values of 0.1 milliohm to I milliohm near the superconducting single flux quantum integrated circuit laid out in the chip, and the DC bias current is drawn from a connection point with the ground plane.

Abstract: There is provided a method for preparing a ?-SiAlON phosphor capable of be controlled to show characteristics such as high brightness and desired particle size distribution. The method for preparing a ?-SiAlON phosphor represented by Formula: Si(6-x)AlxOyN(8-y):Lnz (wherein, Ln is a rare earth element, and the following requirements are satisfied: 0<x?4.2, 0<y?4.2, and 0<z?1.0) includes: mixing starting materials to prepare a raw material mixture; and heating the raw material mixture in a nitrogen-containing atmospheric gas, wherein the starting materials includes a host raw material including a silicon raw material including metallic silicon, and at least one aluminum raw material selected from the group consisting of metallic aluminum and aluminum compound, and at least activator raw material selected from the rare earth elements for activating the host raw material.

Abstract: A cage 1,2,3,4-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acid (1,3:2,4)-dianhydride compound represented by formula [1], and a polyimide obtained by condensing the compound with a diamine. With the compound, it is possible to provide a polyimide which shows no absorption in the ultraviolet region and is highly transparent to light, has high insulating properties, has improved heat resistance and processability, and has excellent solubility in organic solvents. (In formula [1], R1 and R2 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a C1-10 alkyl.

Abstract: There is provided a semiconductor light source device including a plurality of semiconductor light source elements connected in series, a drive circuit configured to drive the semiconductor light source elements, a plurality of resistors, each of which is connected in parallel with one of the semiconductor light source elements, respectively, and a determination unit configured to determine the number of elements short-circuited in the semiconductor light source elements based on voltages applied to the resistors when driving of each of the semiconductor light source elements is being stopped.

Abstract: A driving device includes a switching power supply circuit to convert input power to output power; a first switching element which opens and closes a circuit of a load; an output capacitor connected in parallel to the load and the first switching element; a selection switch disposed between the inductor and the output capacitor, the selection switch switching between a first selection state where the load is electrically connected to the inductor and the second selection state where a reference potential portion is electrically connected to the inductor; a timing controller which operates the switching power supply circuit while the first switching element is closed; and a controller which puts the selection switch into the second selection state before the first switching element is closed.

Abstract: To provide a polyimide precursor and/or polyimide which has an excellent solubility in various organic solvents, and with which a liquid crystal alignment film can be obtained which is excellent in a rubbing resistance and which is hardly deteriorated even by irradiation with backlight. A polyimide precursor having its terminal amino group modified with at least one alicyclic epoxydicarboxylic acid anhydride selected from the group consisting of compounds of the formulae [1] and [2], or a polyimide obtained by imidizing it: wherein Y is a C1-2 alkylene or an oxygen atom, and R1 is a hydrogen atom or an organic group represented by —X1—X2—X3 , wherein X1 is a single bond or —CH2—, X2 is a single bond or -0-, and X3 is a C1-20 alkyl group, a C1-20 haloalkyl group or a C1-20 alkyl group containing a cyano group.

Abstract: A cage 1,2,3,4-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acid (1,3:2,4)-dianhydride compound represented by formula [1], and a polyimide obtained by condensing the compound with a diamine. With the compound, it is possible to provide a polyimide which shows no absorption in the ultraviolet region and is highly transparent to light, has high insulating properties, has improved heat resistance and processability, and has excellent solubility in organic solvents. (In formula [1], R1 and R2 each independently represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a C1-10 alkyl.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for treating a biomass feedstock at a high temperature, including: a cooling means for cooling a biomass liquid treated at a high temperature; an enzymatic saccharification tank for subjecting a cooled treated liquid to saccharification with an enzyme; a solid-liquid separation apparatus for removing water-slightly soluble fermentation inhibitory substances contained in the saccharide solution taken out from the enzymatic saccharification tank and a foreign substance removing unit provided with a microfiltlation (MF) membrane 113a; a dilution tank, disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit, for adding water thereto so as to dilute the saccharide solution; a water separation unit, provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, for removing water from the diluted saccharide solution to obtain concentrated saccharide solution; and a fermentation tank for fermenting the concentrated saccharide solution.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for treating a biomass feedstock at a high temperature, including a cooling means for cooling a biomass treated liquid at a high temperature; an enzymatic saccharification tank for saccharifying a cooled treated liquid with an enzyme; a solid-liquid separation apparatus for removing water-slightly soluble substances contained in a saccharide solution taken out from the enzymatic saccharification tank and a foreign substance removing unit provided with a microfiltlation (MF) membrane; a dilution tank, disposed downstream of the foreign substance removing unit, for diluting the saccharide solution from which the water-slightly soluble substances are removed by adding water thereto; a water separation unit, provided with a reverse osmosis (RO) membrane, for removing water from the diluted saccharide solution so as to obtain concentrated saccharide solution.

Abstract: A driving device includes a power source that converts input power to output power, first and second capacitors connected to an output of the power source, a load selector, and a capacitor selector. The load selector opens/closes circuits of first and second loads connected to the output of the power source to alternately close these circuits such that the second-load circuit is closed after the opening of the first-load circuit. The capacitor selector opens/closes circuits of the first and second capacitors to alternately close these circuits such that the first-capacitor circuit is closed in synchronization with the closing of the first-load circuit, and such that the second-capacitor circuit is closed in synchronization with the closing of the second-load circuit. The capacitor selector opens the first-capacitor circuit after the opening of the first-load circuit.

Abstract: A semiconductor light source apparatus includes a constant current switch controller that detects a voltage applied to a path when each one of the charging path and the discharging path is selected and switches the plurality of switching elements by calculating a switching duty ratio of the plurality of switching elements so that a current flowing through the passive element is maintained at a constant value in accordance with detection results, and a duty controller that adjusts a voltage value supplied by the power supply circuit in accordance with the switching duty ratio calculated by the constant current switch controller.

Abstract: A plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements separately emits light of each of a plurality of colors. A reference signal output section outputs a reference signal for each of the plurality of colors. A selection section selects a reference signal for each of the plurality of colors output from the reference signal output section in accordance with a light-emission timing of each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements. An operation control section, provided for each of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements, holds an operation value fitted to a light-emitting characteristic of a corresponding semiconductor light-emitting element and converts the reference signal selected by the selection section by an operation. A drive section drives corresponding one of the plurality of semiconductor light-emitting elements on the basis of a signal which has converted by the operation control section.

Abstract: The present invention provides a compound useful for the prophylaxis or treatment of eicosanoid-associated diseases such as atherosclerosis, atherothrombosis, diabetes, obesity, asthma, fever, pain, cancer, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, atopic dermatitis and the like, and having superior pharmacological action, physicochemical properties and the like. The present invention relates to a compound represented by the following formula: wherein each symbol is as defined in the specification, or a salt thereof.

Abstract: An alcohol production system that produces alcohol by alcoholic fermentation using a saccharide solution, including an alcoholic fermentation vessel in which the saccharide solution is fermented by adding yeast to produce alcohol, which is an organic feedstock, and a biomass-hydrothermally-treated-product adding means that adds a biomass hydrothermally-treated product obtained by hydrothermally treating a biomass feedstock to the alcoholic fermentation vessel. The alcohol production system can improve alcoholic fermentation efficiency and realize cost reduction without adding only a mineral salt from outside.