Abstract: Search devices, methods, and programs input a first search term and acquire a category of the first search term. The devices, methods, and programs input a second search term and acquire a category of the second search term. The devices, methods, and programs, determine a logical operator for the first search term and the second search term according to a relationship between the first and second categories, and output search objects on a display that correspond to a logical operation performed using the determined logical operator. One or more of the output search objects may be used as a destination by a navigation device.

Abstract: Search devices, methods, and programs input a plurality of search terms that are associated with search objects and set a search condition for the input search terms. The devices, methods, and programs calculate an approximate number of the search objects that correspond to the set search condition and output the search objects that correspond to the set search condition as search results. The devices, methods, and programs display the calculated approximate number of the search objects until the search results are output. One or more of the output search objects may be used as a destination by a navigation device.

Abstract: Information guidance systems, methods, and programs search for a route from a departure point to a destination and identify a facility used for performing guidance for a guidance location on the searched route. The systems, methods, and programs determine whether a name of the facility has been changed. When the name has been changed, the systems, methods, and programs perform guidance notifying that the name has been changed.

Abstract: Navigation apparatuses, methods, and programs store a plurality of destinations, each destination being associated with a plurality of types of search items. The apparatuses, methods, and programs input a first search character and retrieve the destinations in which the input search character exists in one of the associated search items. The apparatuses, methods, and programs temporarily store the retrieved destinations in association with the search item in which the input character exists. The apparatuses, methods, and programs input a second search character and narrow down the temporarily stored destinations by deleting the temporarily stored destinations in which the second search character does not exist in any of the associated search items. The apparatuses, methods, and programs display the narrowed down destinations as candidate destinations, permit selection of one of the displayed candidate destinations, and provide route guidance to the selected destination.

Abstract: A common word in Japanese syllabary is extracted from multiple items of the destination data, and the common words thus extracted are stored as search keywords. Furthermore, the search keywords are assigned to each potential destination which may be a search target. When a search is made for a destination, those keywords which match the input characters, in whole or in part, are extracted, and the keywords thus extracted are displayed as selectable keys, thus allowing the location candidates to be narrowed down based upon the input characters and the selected keywords. The priority levels of the extracted location candidates are adjusted according to priority score adjustment rules set by operator input, and the location candidates are displayed in the form of a list in descending order of priority. This allows the extracted location candidates to be displayed in the form of a list in an order matching the user's preference.

Abstract: Recognizing that a search target must be particular identifying words, words that are shared by a plurality of sets of destination data are stored as search keywords appended to individual sets of destination data that serve as the search targets. In execution of a search for a destination, keywords that in part match the input characters are displayed as selectable keys. It is possible to reduce user input operations by creating a menu of relevant keywords. Reduction in the number of user operations becomes possible by selecting keywords having three or more characters by a total of two operations, that is, the input of at least one character to retrieve a narrowed down group of keywords and selection of one of the retrieved keywords.

Abstract: A trouble diagnosing device connectable to an ECU mounted on a vehicle and equipped with a memory to store current trouble information and past trouble information, and the trouble diagnosing device includes a display screen to display a diagnosed trouble state, and a simultaneous display unit to call trouble information stored in the memory and make both of the current trouble information and past trouble information displayed at a same time on the display screen.

Abstract: An enlargement button that instruct enlargement of first to fourth buttons to is displayed on a display. The first to fourth buttons to are used to instruct the operation of a control device to be controlled by an electronic control unit to which a trouble diagnosing device is connected. When the enlargement button is manipulated, the first to fourth buttons to are enlarged in the display respectively in corners sections created by dividing the display screen substantially equally into four. With this arrangement, the operator no longer needs to monitor the first to the fourth button by eyes for manipulating these buttons, thereby improving the operability.

Abstract: An enlargement button that instruct enlargement of first to fourth buttons to is displayed on a display. The first to fourth buttons to are used to instruct the operation of a control device to be controlled by an electronic control unit to which a trouble diagnosing device is connected. When the enlargement button is manipulated, the first to fourth buttons to are enlarged in the display respectively in corners sections created by dividing the display screen substantially equally into four. With this arrangement, the operator no longer needs to monitor the first to the fourth button by eyes for manipulating these buttons, thereby improving the operability.

Abstract: A trouble diagnosing device connectable to an ECU mounted on a vehicle and equipped with a memory to store current trouble information and past trouble information, and the trouble diagnosing device includes a display screen to display a diagnosed trouble state, and a simultaneous display unit to call trouble information stored in the memory and make both of the current trouble information and past trouble information displayed at a same time on the display screen.

Abstract: A data processing center includes a receiver that receives a present position of a portable terminal transmitted from the portable terminal, at least one controller that determines a moving means that is moving the portable terminal based upon the present position and retrieves data related to the determined moving means, and a transmitter that transmits the retrieved data related to the determined moving means to the portable terminal.

Abstract: A master curve indicating correlation between a bending life and a distortional change quantity of a wire is previously acquired. The master curve is acquired by repetitively bending a single wire and analyzing (CAE analysis with a computer or the like) a distortional change quantity (&Dgr;&egr;) of the surface of its insulating layer while actually measuring the bending life. Then, the distortional change quantity (&Dgr;&egr;) of the surface of the insulating layer of the wire or the like regarded as the object for predicting the bending life is calculated (CAE analysis or the like). The bending life of the wire or the like is predicted by collating the calculated distortional change quantity (&Dgr;&egr;) of the wire or the like serving as the prediction object with the aforementioned master curve. The bending life can be correctly predicted regardless of product conditions of the wire or the like.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermocompression tool, i.e. high strength bonding tool used for mounting a semiconductor device or element such as IC, LSI, etc. on a substrate, for example, a tool of pulse heating type used for soldering, and a mounting tool (bonding tool) used for heating, melting and bonding or thermocompression bonding in a lump a number of workpieces to be bonded, making up a part of electronic parts, in particular, a high precision tool called outer lead bonding tool. The high strength bonding tool comprises a substrate consisting of a cemented carbide having microscopic protrusions of hard carbides and/or hard carbonitrides on at least one surface and a coefficient of linear expansion of 4.0.times.10.sup.-6 to 5.5.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree. C. at room temperature to 400.degree. C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermocompression tool, i.e. high strength bonding tool used for mounting a semiconductor device or element such as IC, LSI, etc. on a substrate, for example, a tool of pulse heating type used for soldering, and a mounting tool (bonding tool). The tool is used for heating, melting and bonding or thermocompression bonding in a lump a number of workpieces to be bonded, making up a part of electronic parts, in particular, a high precision tool called outer lead bonding tool. The high strength bonding tool has a substrate that is composed of a cemented carbide having microscopic protrusions of hard carbides and/or hard carbonitrides on at least one surface and having a coefficient of linear expansion of 4.0.times.10.sup.-6 to 5.5.times.10.sup.-6 /.degree.C. at room temperature to 400.degree. C.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are methods and means of producing novel growth hormone-like proteins derived from the pituitary gland of fishes belonging to the order Pleuronectina, the family Paralichthydae, which are useful in the growth promotion for fishes, by genetic engineering using cloned genes.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a fish growth hormone was isolated from an organ culture broth of the pituitary gland of eels, and further a recombinant DNA incorporated with a DNA coding for the eel growth hormone polypeptide and a microorganism containing the recombinant DNA were obtained. They can be used for mass production of an eel growth hormone.

Abstract: A method for producing a glass preform comprising flame hydrolyzing a glass raw material in an oxyhydrogen flame to form glass fine particles of quartz, depositing the glass fine particles on a seed member to produce a solid or hollow cylindrical soot preform at least of a part of which contains GeO.sub.2, and heating and sintering the soot preform by introducing it in an atmosphere comprising an inert gas at least a part of which is kept at a temperature not lower than 1,600.degree. C. at an introducing rate not smaller than 3 mm/min, from the glass preform produced by which method, an optical fiber having longitudinally homogeneous composition and low attenuation of light transmission is fabricated.

Abstract: A fish growth hormone provided by a purified extract obtained from the pituitary gland of a fish belonging to salmonoid; the hormone is a polypeptide having the following physicochemical properties:(i) amino acid composition: as indicated in Table 1;(ii) the sequences of 33 amino acids at the N-terminal and 23 amino acids at the C-terminal are as follows:N-terminal: H.sub.2 N-Ile-Glu-Asn-Gln-Arg-Leu-Phe-Asn-Ile-Ala-Val-Ser-Arg-Val-Gln-His-Leu-His- Leu-Leu-Ala-Gln-Lys-Met-Phe-Asn-Asp-Phe-Asp-Gly-Thr-Leu-Leu-C-terminal: -Met-His-Lys-Val-Glu-Thr-Tyr-Leu-Thr-Val-Ala-Lys-Cys-Arg-Lys-Ser-Leu-Glu-A la-Asn-Cys-Thr-Leu-OH;(iii) molecular weight: about 22,000;(iv) isoelectric point: 5.6-5.7; and(v) soluble in an alkaline aqueous solution and hardly soluble or insoluble in neutral and acidic aqueous solutions.

Abstract: Fluorine is selectively added to a cladding portion of a glass preform by producing a soot preform which comprises a core portion and a cladding portion under such conditions that an additive concentration or a bulk density of the outermost part of the core portion is to be larger than that of the inner part thereof and heating the soot preform in an atmosphere containing fluorine or fluorine-containing compound at least for some period to obtain a transparent glass preform.

Abstract: A peptide having the structural formula (I): ##STR1## wherein Glx is Glu or Gln, and the following physical properties: (1) Ultraviolet Absorption Spectrum: Max 280 nm.,(2) Ehrlich reaction, Sakaguchi reaction and Pauly's reaction: positive,(3) Basic,(4) Soluble in water, methanol and acetic acid, slightly soluble in ethyl acetate, butyl acetate, ethyl ether, hexane, petroleum ether, benzene and chloroform, and(5) white powderhas a specifically GH-releasing effect and no species-specificity.The peptide is useful not only for human dwarfism and wound repair but also for stimulating a growth of domestic animal.