Abstract: Nano polycrystalline diamond is composed of carbon, an element of different type which is an element other than carbon and is added to be dispersed in carbon at an atomic level, and an inevitable impurity. The polycrystalline diamond has a crystal grain size not greater than 500 nm. The polycrystalline diamond can be fabricated by subjecting graphite in which the element of different type which is an element other than carbon has been added to be dispersed in carbon at an atomic level to heat treatment within high-pressure press equipment.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus includes an operation display device, a hardware key input device, a placement detector, and processing circuitry. The operation display device includes a touch panel. The hardware key input device is configured to be placed on the operation display device. The hardware key input device includes a key top having a high dielectric constant for pressing the touch panel. The placement detector is configured to detect placement of the hardware key input device on the operation display device. The processing circuitry is configured to cause a display on the touch panel to transition to a mode enabling a pressing operation using the hardware key input device when the placement detector detects the placement of the hardware key input device.

Abstract: Provided is a driving device for PWM control of voltage pulses for controlling the temperature of a heater in a phase controller, the driving device being capable of increasing the response speed of an optical element such as an optical switch. Phase controllers include first and second heaters for changing the temperatures of first and second optical waveguides extending in parallel. Driving devices include pulse generation circuits that generate voltage pulses to apply to the first and second heaters. To start raising the temperature of the second heater, the pulse generation circuit generates a first voltage pulse and consecutive second voltage pulses to apply to the second heater with zero voltage pulse being applied to the first heater, the first voltage pulse having a long pulse width and the second voltage pulses following the first voltage pulse and having a shorter pulse width than the first voltage pulse.

Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes one or more processors configured to execute a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied to a plurality of drivers based on driving data of the drivers, an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a specific driver based on driving data of the driver, and an on-board controller provided in a vehicle operated by the driver. The individual driver model learning engine includes a vehicle control updating program configured to cause the on-board controller to update vehicle control processing based on the general and individual driver models. The vehicle control updating program acquires the driver models and, according to a given condition, determines a driver model based on which the vehicle control processing is updated, between the general and individual driver models.

Abstract: A double-stranded nucleic acid molecule for suppressing expression of non-coding RNA, the double-stranded nucleic acid molecule including: (a) a sense strand containing a nucleotide sequence corresponding to a target sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 26 to 31; and (b) an antisense strand containing a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to the sense strand in the (a) to form a double strand with the sense strand, wherein the non-coding RNA contains a base sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 2 to 4, a part of the base sequence, or both of the base sequence and the part.

Abstract: A conventional optical switching engine has difficulty in producing a universal multiport switching engine being capable of (i) programmatically changing regions to be switched, (ii) generating no wavelength dependent loss, (iii) having a small Walk-off, and (iv) being usable for small to large light beams. Produced is a light beam deflecting element in which a polarization grating is fitted in parallel on an N×M transmissive birefringence modulator formed such that a transmissive variable half-wavelength liquid crystal plate is divided into rectangular extreme small pixels, and many N and M pixels thus obtained are respectively arranged in X and Y axes directions in a matrix form, the polarization grating being a grating in which a period ? changes in an X? axis direction (direction to which a birefringence axis rotates) in accordance with a wavelength width of light.

Abstract: Provided is polycrystalline diamond having a diamond single phase as basic composition, in which the polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of crystal grains and contains boron, at least either of nitrogen and silicon, and a remainder including carbon and trace impurities; the boron is dispersed in the crystal grains at an atomic level, and greater than or equal to 90 atomic % of the boron is present in an isolated substitutional type; the nitrogen and the silicon are present in an isolated substitutional type or an interstitial type in the crystal grains; each of the crystal grains has a grain size of less than or equal to 500 nm; and the polycrystalline diamond has a surface covered with a protective film.

Abstract: A diamond magnetic sensor including diamond containing at least one NV? center, a microwave generator which emits microwaves to the diamond, an excitation light generator which emits excitation light to the NV? center of the diamond, and a fluorescence sensor which receives fluorescence produced from the NV? center of the diamond includes a pattern measurement apparatus which measures a temporal change pattern of magnetic field intensity based on variation in fluorescence intensity sensed by the fluorescence sensor.

Abstract: A double-stranded nucleic acid molecule for suppressing expression of non-coding RNA, the double-stranded nucleic acid molecule including: (a) a sense strand containing a nucleotide sequence corresponding to a target sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 5 to 11 and 26 to 31; and (b) an antisense strand containing a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to the sense strand in the (a) to form a double strand with the sense strand, wherein the non-coding RNA contains a base sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 4, a part of the base sequence, or both of the base sequence and the part.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a communication interface to communicate with a plurality of control terminals operated by different users; and circuitry to: authenticate the plurality of control terminals in an order that an authentication request is received from the control terminal; send an operational screen to each one of the plurality of control terminals that have been successfully authenticated for display at each control terminal, the operational screen to accept a process request for requesting the image forming apparatus to execute an image forming process; receive a plurality of process requests from the plurality of control terminals that have been authenticated in an order that the process request is accepted at the control terminal; and control an image forming device to execute a plurality of image forming processes according to the plurality of process requests in the order that the process request is accepted at the control terminal.

Abstract: Provided is polycrystalline diamond having a diamond single phase as basic composition, in which the polycrystalline diamond includes a plurality of crystal grains and contains boron, hydrogen, oxygen, and the remainder including carbon and trace impurities; the boron is dispersed in the crystal grains at an atomic level, and greater than or equal to 90 atomic % of the boron is present in an isolated substitutional type; hydrogen and oxygen are present in an isolated substitutional type or an interstitial type in the crystal grains; each of the crystal grains has a grain size of less than or equal to 500 nm; and the polycrystalline diamond has a surface covered with a protective film.

Abstract: An optical amplifier includes a polarization splitter, a polarization rotator, first and second optical couplers, and first and second semiconductor optical amplifying devices. The TE polarized wave of light split by the polarization splitter is input to a first input port of the first optical coupler. The TM polarized wave of the split light is converted into a TE polarized wave by the polarization rotator to be input to a second input port of the first optical coupler. First light and second light output from a first output port and a second output port of the first optical coupler are amplified by the first semiconductor optical amplifying device and the second semiconductor optical amplifying device to be input to a first input port and a second input port of the second optical coupler, respectively. Third light is output from an output port of the second optical coupler.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a communication interface to communicate with a plurality of control terminals operated by different users; and circuitry to: authenticate the plurality of control terminals in an order that an authentication request is received from the control terminal; send an operational screen to each one of the plurality of control terminals that have been successfully authenticated for display at each control terminal, the operational screen to accept a process request for requesting the image forming apparatus to execute an image forming process; receive a plurality of process requests from the plurality of control terminals that have been authenticated in an order that the process request is accepted at the control terminal; and control an image forming device to execute a plurality of image forming processes according to the plurality of process requests in the order that the process request is accepted at the control terminal.

Abstract: A double-stranded nucleic acid molecule for suppressing expression of non-coding RNA, the double-stranded nucleic acid molecule including: (a) a sense strand containing a nucleotide sequence corresponding to a target sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 5 to 11 and 26 to 31; and (b) an antisense strand containing a nucleotide sequence which is complementary to the sense strand in the (a) to form a double strand with the sense strand, wherein the non-coding RNA contains a base sequence set forth in any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 4, a part of the base sequence, or both of the base sequence and the part.

Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes one or more processors configured to execute a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied to a plurality of drivers based on driving data of the drivers, an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a specific driver based on driving data of the driver, and an on-board controller provided in a vehicle operated by the driver. The individual driver model learning engine includes a vehicle control updating program configured to cause the on-board controller to update vehicle control processing based on the general and individual driver models. The vehicle control updating program acquires the driver models and, according to a given condition, determines a driver model based on which the vehicle control processing is updated, between the general and individual driver models.

Abstract: A vehicle drive assistance system is provided, which includes one or more processors configured to execute a general driver model learning engine configured to build a general driver model to be applied to a plurality of vehicle drivers based on driving data of the plurality of vehicle drivers, an individual driver model learning engine configured to build an individual driver model unique to a specific driver based on driving data of the specific driver and the general driver model, and a vehicle control changing program configured to change vehicle control processing executed by a specific vehicle operated by the specific driver based at least on the individual driver model.

Abstract: Nano polycrystalline diamond is composed of carbon, an element of different type which is an element other than carbon and is added to be dispersed in carbon at an atomic level, and an inevitable impurity. The polycrystalline diamond has a crystal grain size not greater than 500 nm. The polycrystalline diamond can be fabricated by subjecting graphite in which the element of different type which is an element other than carbon has been added to be dispersed in carbon at an atomic level to heat treatment within high-pressure press equipment.

Abstract: A conventional optical switching engine has difficulty in producing a universal multiport switching engine being capable of (i) programmatically changing regions to be switched, (ii) generating no wavelength dependent loss, (iii) having a small Walk-off, and (iv) being usable for small to large light beams. Produced is a light beam deflecting element in which a polarization grating is fitted in parallel on an N×M transmissive birefringence modulator formed such that a transmissive variable half-wavelength liquid crystal plate is divided into rectangular extreme small pixels, and many N and M pixels thus obtained are respectively arranged in X and Y axes directions in a matrix form, the polarization grating being a grating in which a period ? changes in an X? axis direction (direction to which a birefringence axis rotates) in accordance with a wavelength width of light.

Abstract: Nano polycrystalline diamond is composed of carbon, an element of different type which is an element other than carbon and is added to be dispersed in carbon at an atomic level, and an inevitable impurity. The polycrystalline diamond has a crystal grain size not greater than 500 nm. The polycrystalline diamond can be fabricated by subjecting graphite in which the element of different type which is an element other than carbon has been added to be dispersed in carbon at an atomic level to heat treatment within high-pressure press equipment.

Abstract: Nano polycrystalline diamond is composed of carbon and a plurality of impurities other than carbon. A concentration of each of the plurality of impurities is not higher than 0.01 mass %, and the nano polycrystalline diamond has a crystal grain size (a maximum length) not greater than 500 nm. The nano polycrystalline diamond can be fabricated by preparing graphite in which a concentration of an impurity is not higher than 0.01 mass % and converting graphite to diamond by applying an ultra-high pressure and a high temperature to graphite.