Abstract: In a cutter structure for a shield machine which advances by boring through a tunnel wall from inside an existing tunnel, the shape of an excavating surface on a work face formed by a cutter is set so as to have a smaller curvature than or an equal curvature to the curve of a surface to be excavated on the outer face of the tunnel wall to be excavated. Since the shape of the excavating surface on the work face formed by the cutter is set by a curvature, upon advance of the shield machine by boring through the tunnel wall, the tunnel wall to be excavated, the shape of which is cylindrical, can be cut into by opening a hole which extends diametrically outward from the central portion of the cutter. As a result, the sections that are not cut into remain connected to the existing tunnel and will not enter the cutter chamber in lumps.

Abstract: The present invention provides an aqueous resin composition that can be utilized in a wide variety of fields including paints for vehicles, paints for cans, paints for the outer facings of buildings, adhesives, inks, impregnating agents for fibers and paper, and sealing agents and the like, wherein the aqueous resin composition comprises a polyester resin (A) having an acid value from 10 to 50 and a hydroxyl value from 20 to 150, a vinyl modified polyester resin (B) having an acid value from 20 to 100 and a hydroxyl value from 20 to 150, and a curing agent (C).

Abstract: An optical amplifier includes first and second optical amplifier units, a variable optical attenuator optically coupled between the first and second optical amplifier units, a first control unit to control gains of the first and second optical amplifier units based on an input of the first optical amplifier unit and an output of the second optical amplifier unit, and a second control unit to control an attenuation quantity of the variable optical attenuator based on the input and an output of the first optical amplifier unit and an input and the output of the second optical amplifier unit.

Abstract: An excavating drive (22) movable backward/forward is accommodated in a turnable body (9) which in turn is turnable about an axis perpendicular to an axis of and in a skin plate (7). A cutter device (38) ahead of a rotor (22) in the excavating drive (22) is composed of a center cutter (40) supported by the excavating drive (22) and a plurality of face plate shaped expansion cutters (44) fitted to an outer periphery of the center cutter (40) for pivotal movement backward/forward. Tunneling is effected by the expanded cutter device with the expansion cutters (44) being pivoted forward. Upon replacement of bits (35; 35′), the expansion cutters (44) are pivoted backward for contraction of an assembly of them and the cutter device (38) is accommodated in a turning trajectory (R) of the turnable body (9) so that the turnable body (9) is turned backward for replacement of the damaged bits (35; 35′) backward.

Abstract: A photo amplifying apparatus for amplifying wavelength division multiplexed signals includes a specific wavelength measuring unit for measuring a specific wavelength at a measuring point, a total power measuring unit for measuring all wavelengths at the measuring point, and an output control unit for controlling the output of the photo amplifying apparatus based on the light power measured by the specific wavelength measuring unit and the total power measuring unit. Since the photo amplifying apparatus measures both the specific wavelength and all wavelengths, the photo amplifying apparatus can determine change in the number of multiplexed wavelengths and the gain gradient of the photo signals, and can properly control its output level.

Abstract: An earth discharging device, for a shield machine for constructing a tunnel in the vertical direction, has a pipe for discharging downwardly earth and sand that have been excavated by the machine as it advances upwardly. An elastic film-type valve is provided in the earth discharging pipe, which valve expands and contracts diametrically by means of fluid pressure to open and close the interior of the earth discharging pipe. A gate mechanism follows the elastic valve and adjusts the sectional area of the space through which earth and sand pass inside of the earth discharging pipe. The gate mechanism narrows the sectional area of the earth discharging pipe at the outlet side of the elastic valve so as to create a substantially uniform earth pressure upon the entire elastic valve to inhibit blockages and eruptions that might otherwise occur.

Abstract: The optical amplifier according to the present invention includes a first optical amplifying unit, a second optical amplifying unit, a variable optical attenuator optically connected between the first and second optical amplifying units and a first control unit for controlling the gains of the first and second optical amplifying units according to an input to the first optical amplifying unit and an output from the second optical amplifying unit, and a second control unit for controlling the attenuation of the variable optical attenuator according to an input to and an output from the first optical amplifying unit and an input to and an output from the second optical amplifying unit.

Abstract: An optical amplification device which includes first and second optical amplifiers, and a controller. The first optical amplifier receives a light and amplifies the received light. The second optical amplifier receives the light amplified by the first optical amplifier, and amplifies the received light. When a level of the light received by the first optical amplifier changes by &Dgr;, the controller controls a level of the light received by the second optical amplifier to change by approximately −&Dgr;. In various embodiments, the controller causes the sum of the gains of the first and second optical amplifiers to be constant. In other embodiments, the optical amplification device includes first and second optical amplifier and a gain adjustor. The gain adjustor detects a deviation in gain of the first optical amplifier from a target gain, and adjusts the gain of the second optical amplifier to compensate for the detected deviation.

Abstract: A resin composition for a powder coating, which comprises a non-crystalline polyester resin (A) having a carboxyl group, a crystalline polyester polyurethane resin (B) and a curing agent (C) made of a compound having a functional group reactable with the carboxyl group as an essential component, yields a powder coating which is highly suitable for practical use, the powder coating having superior storage stability (blocking resistance) and forming a coating film having superior smoothness under low temperature curing conditions.

Abstract: An optical amplification device which includes first and second optical amplifiers, and a controller. The first optical amplifier receives a light and amplifies the received light. The second optical amplifier receives the light amplified by the first optical amplifier, and amplifies the received light. When a level of the light received by the first optical amplifier changes by &Dgr;, the controller controls a level of the light received by the second optical amplifier to change by approximately −&Dgr;. In various embodiments, the controller causes the sum of the gains of the first and second optical amplifiers to be constant. In other embodiments, the optical amplification device includes first and second optical amplifier and a gain adjustor. The gain adjustor detects a deviation in gain of the first optical amplifier from a target gain, and adjusts the gain of the second optical amplifier to compensate for the detected deviation.

Abstract: An earth discharging device, for a shield machine for constructing a tunnel in the vertical direction, has a pipe for discharging downwardly earth and sand that have been excavated by the machine as it advances upwardly. An elastic film-type valve is provided in the earth discharging pipe, which valve expands and contracts diametrically by means of fluid pressure to open and close the interior of the earth discharging pipe. A gate mechanism follows the elastic valve and adjusts the sectional area of the space through which earth and sand pass inside of the earth discharging pipe. The gate mechanism narrows the sectional area of the earth discharging pipe at the outlet side of the elastic valve so as to create a substantially uniform earth pressure upon the entire elastic valve to inhibit blockages and eruptions that might otherwise occur.

Abstract: In a cutter structure for a shield machine which advances by boring through a tunnel wall from inside an existing tunnel, the shape of an excavating surface on a work face formed by a cutter is set so as to have a smaller curvature than or an equal curvature to the curve of a surface to be excavated on the outer face of the tunnel wall to be excavated. Since the shape of the excavating surface on the work face formed by the cutter is set by a curvature, upon advance of the shield machine by boring through the tunnel wall, the tunnel wall to be excavated, the shape of which is cylindrical, can be cut into by opening a hole which extends diametrically outward from the central portion of the cutter. As a result, the sections that are not cut into remain connected to the existing tunnel and will not enter the cutter chamber in lumps.

Abstract: An optical amplifier of a wavelength-division multiplexing transmission system that includes a pre-stage optical amplifying unit and a post stage optical amplifying unit. The pre-stage optical amplifying unit has a rare-earth element doped optical fiber and a pump light source for inputting a pump light to the rare-earth element doped optical fiber. The post-stage optical amplifying unit has a second rare-earth element doped optical fiber and a pump light source for inputting a pump light to the second rare-earth element doped optical fiber. The pre-stage optical amplifying unit and the post-stage optical amplifying unit are optically connected by a detachable optical coupling device. In addition, a gain equalizing unit, positioned on an output side of the optical fibers, compensates for wavelength-dependency of a gain characteristic of the optical fibers.

Abstract: The present invention has an object to permit change the progressing rate of time during a battle period in response to the skill and experience of the player in a game apparatus. The controller unit, upon detection of start of a battle between characters, changes the progressing rate of time during the battle period, from the progressing rate of time during a non-battle period in response to any of a plurality of pieces of rate information previously prepared for regulating the progressing rate of time during the battle period. The controller unit, the audio process unit and the graphics process unit adjust the executing timing of the character in response to the changed progressing rate of time during the battle period. As a result, when the progressing rate of time during the battle period is changed, it is possible to cause the character to execute an action in response to such a change.

Abstract: A resin composition for a powder coating, which comprises a non-crystalline polyester resin (A) having a carboxyl group, a crystalline polyester polyurethane resin (B) and a curing agent (C) made of a compound having a functional group reactable with the carboxyl group as an essential component, yields a powder coating which is highly suitable for practical use, the powder coating having superior storage stability (blocking resistance) and forming a coating film having superior smoothness under low temperature curing conditions.

Abstract: An optical amplification device which includes first and second optical amplifiers, and a controller. The first optical amplifier receives a light and amplifies the received light. The second optical amplifier receives the light amplified by the first optical amplifier, and amplifies the received light. When a level of the light received by the first optical amplifier changes by &Dgr;, the controller controls a level of the light received by the second optical amplifier to change by approximately −&Dgr;. In various embodiments, the controller causes the sum of the gains of the first and second optical amplifiers to be constant. In other embodiments, the optical amplification device includes first and second optical amplifier and a gain adjustor. The gain adjustor detects a deviation in gain of the first optical amplifier from a target gain, and adjusts the gain of the second optical amplifier to compensate for the detected deviation.

Abstract: An optical amplifying module having an internal pumping source is provided. WDM signal light obtained by wavelength division multiplexing a plurality of optical signals allocated to different wavelength channels is supplied to the optical amplifying module. An output power from the internal pumping source is adjusted so that the optical amplifying module provides a gain for the WDM signal light. A booster module having an external pumping source for supporting the gain is connected to the optical amplifying module. An output power from the external pumping source is set according to the number of channels of the WDM signal light. This method allows easy response to a change in the number of channels of the WDM signal light.

Abstract: A game apparatus displays, in response to a manual input, a table of additional abilities, such as a magic art, possessed by an enemy character on a display screen that presents a fight fought between a player character and an enemy character, selects any additional ability from among the additional abilities, acquires the ability from the enemy character as a player character's own ability, and stocks the acquired additional ability for future use, or uses, on the spot, the acquired additional ability as the player character's own ability upon acquisition, in response to a manual input.

Abstract: An optical amplifier of a wavelength-division multiplexing transmission system that includes a pre-stage optical amplifying unit and a post stage optical amplifying unit. The pre-stage optical amplifying unit has a rare-earth element doped optical fiber and a pump light source for inputting a pump light to the rare-earth element doped optical fiber. The post-stage optical amplifying unit has a second rare-earth element doped optical fiber and a pump light source for inputting a pump light to the second rare-earth element doped optical fiber. The pre-stage optical amplifying unit and the post-stage optical amplifying unit are optically connected by a detachable optical coupling device. In addition, a gain equalizing unit, positioned on an output side of the optical fibers, compensates for wavelength-dependency of a gain characteristic of the optical fibers.

Abstract: Disclosed in a video game of enhanced realism in which actual combat is closely simulated. The game is so adapted that an enemy character on a display screen may launch an attack against a player character on the same screen, even while the player character is the process of inputting a command, at elapse of a set time period specific to the enemy character. The attack is made without an interruption in the flow of time of the game.