Abstract: A micro-bump forming apparatus includes: a film attachment mechanism that attaches a film on a surface of a substrate; exposure and developing mechanisms that provide openings in the film on electrodes formed on the substrate; a solder ball loading mechanism that loads solder balls into the openings, a flux printing mechanism that prints flux through the openings loaded with the solder balls; a reflow part that heats the solder balls to form solder bumps; and a film detachment mechanism that detaches the film from the surface of the substrate. After a loading head loads the solder balls into the openings of the film, a controller of the solder ball loading mechanism allows a line sensor to operate to check a loading state of the solder balls, and determines, based on the check result, whether to reload the solder balls.

Abstract: A bandpass filter includes a layered structure including a plurality of stacked dielectric layers, and first to third resonators provided within the layered structure. In terms of circuit configuration, the second resonator is located between the first and third resonators. The first resonator includes a first inductor and a first capacitor. The second resonator includes a second inductor and a second capacitor. The third resonator includes a third inductor and a third capacitor. The second inductor is disposed at a position different from that of each of the first and third inductors in the stacking direction of the dielectric layers. The second inductor is lower in inductance than the first and third inductors. The second capacitor is higher in capacitance than the first and third capacitors.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a display unit, a communication unit, and a control unit. The display unit displays video data. The communication unit communicates with an external apparatus. The control unit controls the communication apparatus in accordance with a command received by the communication unit. If the display unit is in a mute state and the communication unit is sending the external apparatus the data for placing the external apparatus in a mute state, the control unit determines not to control the communication apparatus in accordance with the command.

Abstract: A method of producing an ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester by forming the ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester from L-aspartic acid-?,?-diester and L-phenylalanine using an enzyme or enzyme-containing substance that has an ability to selectively link L-phenylalanine to an ?-ester site of the L-aspartic acid-?,?-diester through a peptide bond.

Abstract: An electrolytic capacitor includes: a case including a case body, in which an electrolytic capacitor element is disposed in a sealed manner and filled up with an electrolytic solution, and a safety valve is mounted to the case body for jetting an evaporated gas of the electrolytic solution filling the electrolytic capacitor element; a cover member mounted to the case so as to cover the safety valve provided for the case; a first fixing unit mounted to the cover member so as to prevent the cover member from dismounting when the evaporated gas of the electrolytic solution is jetted outward; and a second fixing unit disposed in association with the first fixing unit and adopted to reinforce and assist a function of the first fixing unit to thereby prevent the cover member from being dismounted. An electric equipment includes a lighting circuit including circuit components, and an electrolytic capacitor of the structure mentioned above.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a display unit, a communication unit, and a control unit. The display unit displays video data. The communication unit communicates with an external apparatus. The control unit controls the communication apparatus in accordance with a command received by the communication unit. If the display unit is in a mute state and the communication unit is sending the external apparatus the data for placing the external apparatus in a mute state, the control unit determines not to control the communication apparatus in accordance with the command.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte-based secondary battery, composed of a lithium/nickel composite oxide with high capacity, low cost and excellent heat stability, an industrially suitable production method therefor, and a high safety non-aqueous electrolyte-based secondary battery. A lithium/nickel composite oxide is produced by the following steps (a) to (c): (a) Nickel hydroxide or nickel oxyhydroxide having a specified component is prepared at a temperature of 600 to 1100° C., under air atmosphere. (b) Fired powders are prepared after mixing said nickel oxide and a lithium compound, and then by firing at a maximal temperature range of 650 to 850° C., under oxygen atmosphere. (c) Obtained fired powders are washed with water within a time satisfying the following equation (2) and then filtered and dried.

Abstract: A lithium nickel composite oxide, having small inner resistance, large battery capacity and high thermal stability, can be used as a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. The positive electrode active material is composed of the lithium nickel composite oxide of LibNi1-aMaO2 (wherein M represents at least one element selected from a transition metal element other than Ni, the second group element and the thirteenth group element; a satisfies 0.01?a?0.5; and b satisfies 0.9?b?1.1). This is obtained by filtering and drying the fired powder after water washing, wherein it is dried at 90° C. or lower, till moisture is reduced to 1% or less by mass in drying, and then at 120° C., and under gas atmosphere where content of compound components containing carbon is 0.01% or less by volume, or under vacuum atmosphere.

Abstract: A laminated electronic device comprises two or more wiring layers including a first wiring layer and a second wiring layer, an insulating layer interposed between the first wiring layer and second wiring layer, and a through conductor extending through the insulating layer for electrically connecting a first conductor disposed on the first wiring layer to a second conductor disposed on the second wiring layer. The through conductor includes divergent sections at both ends, which have a diameter gradually increased toward the first conductor or second conductor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a positive electrode active material for a non-aqueous electrolyte-based secondary battery, composed of a lithium/nickel composite oxide with high capacity, low cost and excellent heat stability, and a high safety non-aqueous electrolyte-based secondary battery. A positive electrode active material, comprising lithium/nickel composite oxide powders obtained by water washing fired powders having the following composition formula (1), followed by filtering and drying: LiNi1-aMaO2??(1) (wherein, M represents at least one kind of an element selected from transition metal elements other than Ni, group 2 elements, or group 13 elements; and “a” satisfies 0.01?a?0.5), characterized in that specific surface area of the lithium/nickel composite oxide powders after water washing is 0.3 to 2.0 m2/g.

Abstract: A method of producing an ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester by forming the ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester from L-aspartic acid-?,?-diester and L-phenylalanine using an enzyme or enzyme-containing substance that has an ability to selectively link L-phenylalanine to an ?-ester site of the L-aspartic acid-?,?-diester through a peptide bond.

Abstract: DNA and recombinant DNA that encode a peptide-forming enzyme, a method for producing a peptide-forming enzyme, and a method for producing a dipeptide are disclosed. A method for producing a dipeptide includes producing a dipeptide from a carboxy component and an amine component by using a culture of a microbe belonging to the genus Sphingobacterium and having the ability to form the dipeptide from the carboxy component and the amine component, a microbial cell separated from the culture, treated microbial cell product of the microbe or a peptide-forming enzyme derived from the microbe.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a dipeptide from starting materials that are available at low costs through a route industrially advantageous and simple. Dipeptides are produced from amino acid esters and amino acids by using a culture of a microbe having an ability to produce a dipeptide from an amino acid ester and an amino acid, microbial cells separated from the culture, or treated microbial cell product.

Abstract: A micro-bump forming apparatus includes: a film attachment mechanism that attaches a film on a surface of a substrate; exposure and developing mechanisms that provide openings in the film on electrodes formed on the substrate; a solder ball loading mechanism that loads solder balls into the openings, a flux printing mechanism that prints flux through the openings loaded with the solder balls; a reflow part that heats the solder balls to form solder bumps; and a film detachment mechanism that detaches the film from the surface of the substrate. After a loading head loads the solder balls into the openings of the film, a controller of the solder ball loading mechanism allows a line sensor to operate to check a loading state of the solder balls, and determines, based on the check result, whether to reload the solder balls.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a peptide, comprising culturing a transformant introduced with an expression vector to prepare a culture, and mixing the culture with a carboxy component and an amine component to form the peptide. The expression vector comprises a polynucleotide encoding a protein: (A) having selected deletions in the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:2, (B) having a mutation of one or several amino acid residues in any protein selected from said group (A); (C) having 70% or more amino acid sequence identity to any protein selected from said group (A), (D) encoded by a polynucleotide that hybridizes under a stringent condition with a polynucleotide consisting of a nucleotide sequence complementary to a polynucleotide encoding any protein selected from said group (A), and (E) encoded by a polynucleotide having 70% or more nucleotide sequence identity to the polynucleotide encoding any protein selected from the group (A).

Abstract: DNA and recombinant DNA that encode a peptide-forming enzyme, a method for producing a peptide-forming enzyme, and a method for producing a dipeptide are disclosed. A method for producing a dipeptide includes producing a dipeptide from a carboxy component and an amine component by using a culture of a microbe belonging to the genus Sphingobacterium and having the ability to form the dipeptide from the carboxy component and the amine component, a microbial cell separated from the culture, treated microbial cell product of the microbe or a peptide-forming enzyme derived from the microbe.

Abstract: A method of producing an ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester by forming the ?-L-aspartyl-L-phenylalanine-?-ester from L-aspartic acid-??-diester and L-phenylalanine using an enzyme or enzyme-containing substance that has an ability to selectively link L-phenylalanine to an ?-ester site of the L-aspartic acid-??-diester through a peptide bond.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a transmission unit, a command processing unit, an acquisition unit, a first determination unit, a second determination unit, and a control unit. The second determination unit determines whether a first physical address acquired from the external apparatus by the acquisition unit matches a second physical address included in a second command received by the command processing unit. The control unit controls the command processing unit to transmit the first command including the first physical address to the external apparatus if it is determined that the first physical address matches the second physical address.

Abstract: A communication apparatus includes a communication unit, a first determination unit, a second determination unit, and a control unit. The communication unit communicates with an external apparatus via communication lines that conform to HDMI standard. The first determination unit determines whether the first data indicating that the external apparatus displays video data transmitted from the communication unit to the external apparatus is detected by the communication unit has received via a CEC line. The second determination unit determines whether a second data indicating that the external apparatus displays video data transmitted from the communication unit to the external apparatus is detected by the communication via a TMDS line. The control unit determines whether to transmit video data to the external apparatus based on at least one of a determination result obtained by the first determination unit and a determination result obtained by the second determination unit.