Abstract: The PLC-type delay demodulation circuit includes a planar lightwave circuit that is provided on one PLC chip and demodulates a DQPSK signal. The planar lightwave circuit includes a Y-branch waveguide that branches a DQPSK-modulated optical signal into two optical signals and first and second MZIs that delay the branched optical signals by one bit. A wave plate is provided in central portions of first and second arm waveguides of the first MZI and first and second arm waveguides of the second MZI in such a manner that the wave plate intersects all of the four arm waveguides, the four arm waveguides being close to one another in a portion where the wave plate is provided.

Abstract: To provide a preventive or ameliorating agent for liver diseases associated with hepatopathy comprising an omega-9 unsaturated fatty acid as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A PLC-type delay demodulation circuit includes a planar lightwave circuit that is provided on one PLC chip and demodulates a DQPSK signal. The planar lightwave circuit includes a Y-branch waveguide that branches a DQPSK-modulated optical signal into two optical signals and first and second MZIs that delay the branched optical signals by one bit. The length of a short arm waveguide of the first MZI is different from the length of a short arm waveguide of the second MZI, and the length of an optical path from the Y-branch waveguide to output ports of the first MZI through the short arm waveguide of the first MZI is equal to that of an optical path from the Y-branch waveguide to output ports of the second MZI through the short arm waveguide of the second MZI.

Abstract: The quench of the superconducting coil is desired to be detected early while suppressing the influences of the noise generated in charge and discharge of the superconducting coil. A superconducting coil quench detection apparatus detects the balance voltage of a bridge circuit formed by the superconducting coil and a resistor to output it as a quench detection signal for detecting the quench thereof. A signal indicating the hold period where the energy accumulated in the superconducting coil is held is generated. A signal included in the hold period is extracted from the quench detection signal. The quench of the superconducting coil is detected based on the extracted signal.

Abstract: A sunlight collecting heat receiver includes: a heat-exchange heat receiving tube which receives sunlight collected by heliostats and transfers the sunlight to a heat carrier, wherein the heat-exchange heat receiving tube includes an outward-flow heat receiving tube which is disposed on the upstream in a sunlight incident direction and an inward-flow heat receiving tube which is connected to the outward-flow heat receiving tube through a U tube and is disposed on the downstream in the sunlight incident direction, and wherein the outward-flow heat receiving tube and the inward-flow heat receiving tube are arranged so as to be deviated from each other in the transverse direction perpendicular to the height direction when seen in the sunlight incident direction.

Abstract: Disclosed are a PLC-type delay demodulation circuit and a PLC-type optical interferometer capable of reducing the size of a PLC chip with respect to the arrangement of various kinds of light output waveguides. In a PLC-type delay demodulation circuit, arm waveguides of a first MZI and arm waveguides of a second MZI are formed so as to overlap each other in the same region of a planar lightwave circuit. The optical paths of the MZIs are arranged such that the propagation directions of two DQPSK signals branched by a Y-branch waveguide are opposite to each other.

Abstract: A superconductor cooling system has: a first superconductor; a first cooling conductor used for cooling the first superconductor; a first cooling unit configured to cool the first cooling conductor to a first temperature; and a current lead configured to supply a current to the first superconductor. Here, a part of a path of the current is formed of a second superconductor. The superconductor cooling system further has: a second cooling conductor used for cooling the second superconductor; a second cooling unit configured to cool the second cooling conductor to a second temperature; and a first thermal conduction switch connected between the first cooling conductor and the second cooling conductor to ON and OFF heat transfer between the first cooling conductor and the second cooling conductor.

Abstract: An optical waveguide circuit includes: an optical interferometer including an optical waveguide; and a heating unit that is disposed along at least a part of the optical waveguide included in the optical interferometer and performs heating of imparting, to the optical waveguide, reversible refractive index changes different from each other along two principal axes of refractive index of the optical waveguide and heating of imparting, to the optical waveguide, permanent refractive index changes different from each other along the two principal axes of refractive index of the optical waveguide. The optical interferometer has a polarization dependent frequency shift that is reduced by the heating of imparting the permanent refractive index changes.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an acquisition unit that acquires personal identification information for identifying a person, a control unit that generates correlation information by correlating the personal identification information acquired by the acquisition unit with an environmental impact which is an impact exerted on the environment by the person, and a storage unit that stores the correlation information generated by the control unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides an optical waveguide circuit which includes: a waveguide made of a material whose temperature coefficient of refractive index has a second-order component; a groove formed in a part of the waveguide; and a compensation material having a temperature coefficient of refractive index different from the temperature coefficient of refractive index of the waveguide, and in which a normal line of an interface between the groove and the waveguide, and an optical axis of light propagating through the waveguide intersect at a predetermined intersection angle, and the predetermined intersection angle is determined so as to reduce a second-order component of optical path length change of the waveguide due to the second-order component of temperature coefficient of the refractive index of the waveguide.

Abstract: The PLC-type delay demodulation circuit includes a planar lightwave circuit that is provided on one PLC chip and demodulates a DQPSK signal. The planar lightwave circuit includes a Y-branch waveguide that branches a DQPSK-modulated optical signal into two optical signals and first and second MZIs that delay the branched optical signals by one bit. A wave plate is provided in central portions of first and second arm waveguides of the first MZI and first and second arm waveguides of the second MZI in such a manner that the wave plate intersects all of the four arm waveguides, the four arm waveguides being close to one another in a portion where the wave plate is provided.

Abstract: A PLC-type delay demodulation circuit includes a planar lightwave circuit that is provided on one PLC chip and demodulates a DQPSK signal. The planar lightwave circuit includes a Y-branch waveguide that branches a DQPSK-modulated optical signal into two optical signals and first and second MZIs that delay the branched optical signals by one bit. The length of a short arm waveguide of the first MZI is different from the length of a short arm waveguide of the second MZI, and the length of an optical path from the Y-branch waveguide to output ports of the first MZI through the short arm waveguide of the first MZI is equal to that of an optical path from the Y-branch waveguide to output ports of the second MZI through the short arm waveguide of the second MZI.

Abstract: A cable connecting configuration electrically connects cables with a terminal attached to one end of each of the cables. The cable connecting configuration has a contact section having a contact surface parallel to a longitudinal direction of the cables. In a state that the cables are connected to each other, the contact section of each of the terminals is provided to face each other having an overlapping range in the longitudinal direction, with the facing direction being a direction perpendicular to the contact surface of the contact section. Between the contact surfaces, there is a metal elastic member, which can be elastically displaced in the facing direction within the overlapping range. The terminal is held by the housing such that the contact sections tightly press the elastic member in the facing direction, and thereby the terminals are electrically connected via the elastic member.

Abstract: There is provided a charging apparatus including a connection unit to which a device is to be connected, a charging unit for charging the device connected to the connection unit, a history acquisition unit for acquiring a history of content use stored in the device, a timing prediction unit for predicting a timing of use of the device based on the history of content use acquired by the history acquisition unit, and a charge control unit for controlling the charging unit such that the device connected to the connection unit becomes fully charged at a timing suitable for the timing predicted by the timing prediction unit.

Abstract: There is provided a power system including a power transmitting apparatus and a power receiving apparatus. The power transmitting apparatus includes: a power generating unit generating power using renewable energy; a first power measuring unit measuring a power amount generated in a specified period; and a power transmitting unit transmitting the generated power in the specified period and information on the measured power amount to the power receiving apparatus. The power receiving apparatus includes: a power receiving unit receiving the power and the information on the power amount from the power transmitting apparatus; a second power measuring unit measuring a power amount received in the specified period; a determining unit comparing the received power amount and the measured power amount and determining whether such amounts match; and a power reception control unit operable when the amounts do not match, to stop reception of the power and the information.

Abstract: The present invention provides a wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer comprising a Mach-Zehnder interferometer and an arrayed waveguide diffraction grating, the wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer having a simple configuration and being capable of reducing the degradation in the temperature compensation characteristics of a temperature compensation material provided in the Mach-Zehnder interferometer or the peeling-off of the temperature compensation material, and a method of manufacturing the same. A wavelength multiplexer/demultiplexer comprises an AWG including two separated slab waveguides and an MZI including two arm waveguides.

Abstract: In one example embodiment, a power storage management system includes a user terminal, a power storage apparatus and an information processing apparatus. In one example embodiment, the information processing apparatus is configured to, using a mobile communication network (e.g., Global System for Mobile Communications or the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System), communicate with the power storage apparatus.

Abstract: The tunable dispersion compensator 10 of the present invention comprises: the Mach-Zehnder interferometers (MZIs) 21 to 25 cascaded on a planar lightwave circuit; and the tunable couplers 31 to 34 connected to between each corresponding pair of the MZIs respectively. The Y-branch waveguide 15 and 16 are used for connecting to between the MZIs 21, 25 as both end sides and the input/output optical waveguides 13, 14 respectively. The waveguide loop mirror 40 is connected to the final stage MZI 25 among the MZIs 21 to 25 which an incident light is propagated last therethrough. The half-wave plate 50 is inserted to the loop waveguide 41 of the waveguide loop mirror 40. And it becomes able to enhance (double) the amount of tunable dispersion because an input light signal is passed twice through the similar path by the waveguide loop mirror 40.

Abstract: A gas turbine plant associated with a solar thermal electric generation system has a heat receiver which receives heat from the sun, a gas turbine having a compressor and a turbine which operates with an operating fluid compressed by the compressor and heated by the heat receiver, a temperature sensor which detects heat from the sun, an auxiliary driving device which is driven based on the temperature of the heat detected by the temperature sensor, and which starts the gas turbine, and a generator which converts kinetic energy generated as a result of the rotation of the turbine into electric energy.

Abstract: A cartridge-based air gun that fires a BB bullet or a resin bullet inside a cartridge using compressed gas, includes an engaging structure of an extractor that enables blowback and the automatic ejection of the cartridge. An extractor, which engages with a rim that is formed at the rear end of a cartridge loaded in a chamber, is pivotally provided on a side portion of a cylinder so as to be rotatable. A claw portion formed at the tip of the extractor engages with the rim of the cartridge by the urging force of a spring provided between the extractor and the cylinder. A slide moves rearward while the cartridge is held inside the chamber. As the cylinder moves rearward with the stopping of the supply of compressed gas from a gas reservoir, the cartridge comes into contact with an ejector, is released from the engagement by the extractor, and is ejected from the chamber.