Abstract: Conventional I-form crystals of 5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin contain, remaining therein in a considerable amount, the organic solvent used in a purification step. In contrast, in II-form crystals, the amount of the organic solvent remaining therein is smaller than the detection limit. Namely, the II-form crystals contain substantially no residual organic solvent. The novel II-form crystals of 5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin obtained through recrystallization from water not only contain substantially no residual organic solvent, but also have a high bulk density and are hence advantageous for pharmaceutical preparation. They further have properties advantageous for production, such as low adhesion. The crystals are significantly useful as a material for medicines required to have high safety, such as drugs for renal insufficiency.

Abstract: An optical information recording method includes the steps of irradiating laser light onto cells provided on a track of an optical information recording medium, recording on the optical information recording medium multilevel information including information of a level zero for which no information pit is formed, by changing, for each of the cells, widths in a track direction or sizes of information pits in the cells, and, for recording the information of a level zero, irradiating the laser light at a power that is greater than an erasing power for erasing the information pits and that does not permit formation of the information pits.

Abstract: Conventional I-form crystals of 5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin contain, remaining therein in a considerable amount, the organic solvent used in a purification step. In contrast, in II-form crystals, the amount of the organic solvent remaining therein is smaller than the detection limit. Namely, the II-form crystals contain substantially no residual organic solvent. The novel II-form crystals of 5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin obtained through recrystallization from water not only contain substantially no residual organic solvent, but also have a high bulk density and are hence advantageous for pharmaceutical preparation. They further have properties advantageous for production, such as low adhesion. The crystals are significantly useful as a material for medicines required to have high safety, such as drugs for renal insufficiency.

Abstract: A display apparatus including a pixel circuit including a light emitting element arranged in a site where a scanning line crosses a signal line; a holding capacitor; a first switch which opens and closes connection between one terminal of the light emitting element and the signal line in accordance with a signal applied to the scanning line; a second switch which opens and closes connection between one terminal of the holding capacitor and the signal line in accordance with a signal applied to the scanning line to control current to be supplied to the light emitting element, wherein in the pixel circuit selected by a signal of the scanning line, the first switch is closed to apply a voltage to one terminal of the light emitting element from a first voltage supply connected to the signal line and the second switch is closed to apply a voltage to one terminal of the holding capacitor from a second voltage supply connected to the signal line.

Abstract: An active matrix organic electroluminescence(EL) display comprises plural selection and data lines mutually crossed, and a pixel circuit connected to the selection and data lines and having switching devices, a storage capacitor and an organic EL device. In a part of a period that the pixel circuit connected to the selection line is being selected, an applied first data signal is held as a voltage at the storage capacitor of the selected pixel circuit. After the selection signal applying, a first current according to the held voltage is supplied to the organic EL device, and this emits light at luminance according to the first current. In another part of the period, a second current according to an applied second data signal is supplied to the organic EL device of the selected pixel circuit, and this emits light at luminance according to the second current.

Abstract: In an optical semiconductor device that emits or receives light substantially perpendicularly to or in parallel to an active surface formed on a semiconductor substrate, the optical semiconductor device, an electrode that is formed on the active surface side and connected to the active surface is stepped or tapered at an end of the electrode. The electrode of the optical semiconductor device is formed of three layers including an adhesive layer, a diffusion prevention layer, and an Au layer, and the stepped configuration or the taped configuration is formed by a difference of the thickness of the Au layer or the thickness of the adhesive layer/diffusion prevention layer/Au layer.

Abstract: A method of recording multivalued information by writing, by using a photo spot, an information pit on a virtual cell that is set on a track of an optical information recording medium, while changing a width of the information pit in the direction of the track, and of reproducing the multivalued information by detecting a level of the multistep reproduced signal from the information pit, includes: recording different pieces of multivalued information in a learning area of the optical information recording medium on a unit cell (predetermined number of cells) basis; sampling the reproduced signals of the multivalued information on the unit cell basis by using the photo spot; storing the reproduced signals in the sampled learning area on the unit cell basis; recording the multivalued information in a user data area of the optical information recording medium; sampling, by using the photo spots, the reproduced signals from the multivalued information recorded on the user data area; and reproducing the multivalue

Abstract: The present invention provides an information reproducing method which does not need to insert a special pit row for detecting a phase error but can extract phase error information for producing a reproduction clock from a reproduced signal. This method specifically includes: arranging a cell of a decreased multivalued degree having information recorded by one M-value (M<N) in one part of recorded information, e.g., at each cell having information recorded by an N-value (N?3); sampling a reproduced signal when the center of a light spot comes to the center of the cell recorded by the M-value, and detecting the cell center value; and obtaining a phase error for producing a reproduction clock based on a previously derived ideal value of the cell center value, a previously derived gradient of the reproduced signal in the vicinity of the ideal value of the cell center value, and the detected cell center value.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing semiconductor laser device capable of reducing ?L, with manufacturing restrictions satisfied, is provided. In a distributed-feedback or distributed-reflective semiconductor laser device, immediately before burying regrowth of a diffraction grating, halogen-based gas is introduced to a reactor, and etching is performed on the diffraction grating so that each side wall has at least two or more crystal faces and a ratio of length of an upper side in a waveguide direction to a bottom side parallel to a (100) surface is 0 to 0.3. And, a reactive product formed on side surfaces of the diffraction grating and in trench portions between stripes of the diffraction grating at an increase of temperature for regrowth is removed. Therefore, the diffraction grating with reduced height and a sine wave shape is obtained, thereby ?L of the device is reduced. Thus, an oscillation threshold and optical output efficiency can be improved.

Abstract: In a mesa type PIN-PD formed using a heavily doped semiconductor material, a high frequency response is degraded as slow carriers occur in a heavily doped layer when light incident into a light receiving section transmits through an absorbing layer and reaches the heavily doped layer on a side near the substrate. In a p-i-n multilayer structure, a portion corresponding to a light receiving section of a heavily doped layer on a side near a substrate is previously made thinner than the periphery of the light receiving section by an etching or selective growth technique, over which an absorbing layer and another heavily doped layer are grown to form the light receiving section of mesa structure. This makes it possible to form a good ohmic contact and to realize a PIN-PD with excellent high frequency response characteristics.

Abstract: An optical information recording/reproducing apparatus is adapted to record and/or reproduce multilevel information on/or from an optical information recording medium. The multilevel information is recorded in the form of pits in cells virtually formed at regular intervals on a track. The respective levels are represented by varying the length or the area of information pits such that a reproduced signal has a different amplitude level depending on the length or the area of information pits. A reproduced signal correction circuit corrects a reproduced signal obtained by performing sampling at the center of each cell. An error power calculation circuit calculates error power on the basis of the difference between the corrected reproduced signal and an ideal value of each level of the cell. A decoder performs decoding on the basis of the calculated error power values.

Abstract: Provided are an optical information reproducing method capable of determining multi-level information with high precision, and an apparatus for the method. Specifically, a cell having a reduced multi-level is provided in a portion of a data region to perform the level correction or the AGC. For example, a cell recorded with an M-value for each group including a plurality of cells, each of which is recorded with an N-value (N?3, M<N), is provided. A reproduction signal level of a cell recorded with the N-value, which follows the cell recorded with the M-value, is corrected based on a difference between a cell center value of a reproduction signal sampled when a center of a light spot is moved to a center of the cell recorded with the M-value and a reference value obtained from learning information.

Abstract: In a method of reproducing multilevel information, cell-boundary values are obtained. Each of the cell-boundary values is obtained when the center of a light spot comes at a boundary between adjacent cells. Then, on the basis of the cell-boundary values and prestored reference values for the cell-boundary value, cell-boundary-value metrics are calculated. Furthermore, on the basis of the cell-boundary-value metrics, path metrics are calculated.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a semiconductor production technology capable of preventing the peeling of the electrode which occurs in die bonding or wire bonding. There is provided a semiconductor element having an electrode in a surface or in a rear face of a semiconductor substrate, the semiconductor element having a structure in which an amorphous silicon layer 106 is inserted in between an electrode 107 and a semiconductor substrate 101, wherein hydrogen is not added to the amorphous silicon layer 106. Furthermore, an amorphous silicon layer 104 is inserted also in the interface between an electrode 105 and an insulating layer 103, and in the interface between the insulating layer and the semiconductor substrate.

Abstract: An optical information recording method includes the steps of irradiating laser light onto cells provided on a track of an optical information recording medium, recording on the optical information recording medium n-level multilevel information including information of level 0 for which no information pit is formed, by changing, for each of the cells, widths in a track direction or sizes of information pits in the cells, and, for recording the information of level 0, irradiating the laser light at a power that is greater than an erasing power for erasing the information pits and that does not permit formation of the information pits.

Abstract: There is provided a near-field light generating device which is capable of generating near-field light with a higher light intensity by use of a simpler configuration and which comprises a light source, a near-field light generating element having a fine opening of a size which is not more than a wavelength of a light emitted from the light source, and an optical system for converting the light from the light source to a circularly polarized light and irradiating the converted light to a region including the fine opening of the near-field light generating element, wherein the fine opening has at least two opening ends and extends in a bent or curved manner from one opening end to another opening end.

Abstract: In three consecutive cells consisting of a preceding cell, a center cell, and a subsequent cell, a possible change rate of the amplitude of a reproduced signal for the center cell with respect to the sum of the multiple values of the preceding and subsequent cells is obtained in advance. Then, for reproduction, the sum of the multiple values of the adjacent preceding and subsequent cells is obtained with respect to each cell. The amplitude of the reproduced signal obtained at the center cell is corrected to be closer to a reference value on the basis of the obtained change rate and sum.

Abstract: (R)-(+)-5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin is an optically active substance having an excellent suppressive action of the progression of renal failure. At an administration to a model animal of renal failure, (R)-(+)-5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin significantly suppresses an increase of creatinine in blood as compared with the S-form and the racemate, and shows an excellent suppressive action to the progression of renal failure by improving creatinine clearance. Thus, (R)-(+)-5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin is useful as a highly-active agent for renal failure.

Abstract: (S)-(?)-5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin is useful as a drug having high safety. Since the compound of the present invention, (S)-(?)-5-hydroxy-1-methylhydantoin, rarely changes to the metabolite having high toxicity compared with the R-form and the racemate, it is preferred as an agent for renal failure especially when used for chronic renal insufficiency in a patient where toxic substances are not excreted, but are accumulated in the body due to disturbance of renal functions.

Abstract: An InGaAsP thin film layer having the same index of refraction as a diffraction grating is inserted between a p-type InP clad layer and the diffraction grating composed of an InGaAsP layer. In this structure, the InGaAsP layer is present over an active layer, and the amount of thermal diffusion of dopant to the vicinity of the active layer does not depend on an aperture width or the presence or absence of the diffraction grating when the p-type InP clad layer is grown, thereby obtaining a stable optical output, a threshold current, and slope efficiency.