Abstract: A surface-emitting laser includes an active layer; multiple reflectors sandwiching the active layer; and an electrode pair connected to a power supply, through which a current is injected into the active layer. The surface-emitting laser emits at least one laser beam during a current injection period when the current injected into the active layer through the electrode pair during the current injection period is a first current and emits at least one laser beam during a current decrease period when the current injected into the active layer through the electrode pair during the current injection period is a second current exceeding the first current. The current decrease period is after the current injection period. The current injected into the active layer during the current decrease period is lower than the current injected into the active layer during the current injection period.

Abstract: A reflectance measurement part measures the reflectance of a back surface of a semiconductor wafer. An imaging parameter of a camera is adjusted based on the measured reflectance. The imaging parameter includes exposure time and sensitivity of the camera. The camera with the adjusted imaging parameter images the back surface of the semiconductor wafer to determine the presence or absence of a flaw from the obtained image data. The camera is able to perform appropriate imaging in accordance with the reflectance of the back surface of the semiconductor wafer. Thus, a flaw in the back surface of the semiconductor wafer is detected with reliability even if the reflectance of the back surface is varied due to the deposition of a thin film on the back surface.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus communicates with an authenticating server which stores user information for identifying a user and authentication information included in a storing medium. An authentication requesting unit transmits the user information input to the image forming apparatus to the authenticating server to authenticate the user. An authentication result obtaining unit obtains the user authentication result from the authenticating server. A display unit displays a registering mode for registering the authentication information corresponding to the input user information and a deleting mode for deleting the authentication information corresponding to the input user information so that the modes can be selected according to the obtained authentication result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus communicates with an authenticating server having a storing unit which stores user information and first authentication information included in storage media in correspondence to each other. The image forming apparatus receives, from the authenticating server, the first authentication information which was made to correspond to user information input to the image forming apparatus, specifies the first authentication information which does not coincide with second authentication information obtained by reading a storage medium owned by the user and used for user authentication, and transmits a deleting request including the specified first authentication information to the authenticating server.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus communicates with an authenticating server which stores user information for identifying a user and authentication information included in a storing medium. An authentication requesting unit transmits the user information input to the image forming apparatus to the authenticating server to authenticate the user. An authentication result obtaining unit obtains the user authentication result from the authenticating server. A display unit displays a registering mode for registering the authentication information corresponding to the input user information and a deleting mode for deleting the authentication information corresponding to the input user information so that the modes can be selected according to the obtained authentication result.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus communicates with an authenticating server having a storing unit which stores user information and first authentication information included in storage media in correspondence to each other. The image forming apparatus receives, from the authenticating server, the first authentication information which was made to correspond to user information input to the image forming apparatus, specifies the first authentication information which does not coincide with second authentication information obtained by reading a storage medium owned by the user and used for user authentication, and transmits a deleting request including the specified first authentication information to the authenticating server.

Abstract: This invention is drawn to a high-speed centrifugal extractor having improved weirs for selectively separating a heavy liquid and a light liquid. Each of the selection weirs has a double tube structure consisting of an outer cylinder extending from a rotor peripheral wall towards a rotor rotary shaft and an inner cylinder which is inserted into the outer cylinder through the rotor peripheral wall in such a manner that the insertion length of the inner cylinder can be varied. The heavy liquid selection weir has a heavy liquid withdraw port at the wall of the outer cylinder positioned inside the heavy liquid phase, while the light liquid selection weir has a light liquid withdraw port at the wall of the outer cylinder positioned inside the light liquid phase. By varying the insertion length of the inner cylinder into the outer cylinder, the position of an interface at which the heavy and light liquid phases are separated inside a rotor can be changed.

Abstract: In a high-speed centrifugal extractor of the type wherein an inlet for a mixture of heavy liquid and light liquid is disposed at the bottom of a cylindrical rotor rotating at a high speed, a heavy liquid outlet and a light liquid outlet are disposed at the upper part of the rotor and a weir for facilitating selective extraction of the heavy liquid and a weir for facilitating selective extraction of the light liquid are disposed at the upper part of the rotor in order to guide the heavy liquid phase and the light liquid phase separated inside the rotor by centrifugal force to the heavy and light liquid outlets, respectively, an improvement resides in a spiral liquid path formed inside the cylindrical rotor and extends from the mixed liquid inlet to the selection weirs so that the mixture of the heavy and light liquids introduced from the mixed liquid inlet rises along the spiral liquid path while rotating therein.