Abstract: A steam turbine has: a casing; a rotor rotatably arranged in the casing; a nozzle diaphragm concentrically arranged with respect to the rotor, the nozzle diaphragm being engaged with the casing; moving blades arranged in circumferential direction on outer circumference of the rotor at positions adjacent to the nozzle diaphragm; seal strips circumferentially extending on tips of the moving blades, the seal strips protruding in radial outward direction; and an abradable structure rigidly connected to the nozzle diaphragm. The abradable structure faces the seal strips in radial direction at a facing surface, and has an abradable part made of an abradable material arranged at the facing surface.

Abstract: A working process monitoring device includes: a sensor unit for detecting at least one of vibrations and sound waves produced while processing a workpiece by a working machine rotatably driven by a driving unit; a signal input unit for extracting target signals from an electric signal outputted from the sensor unit; and an amount of characteristics extracting unit for extracting amounts of characteristics including a plurality of parameters from the target signals. Further, the working process monitoring device includes a material inspecting unit for detecting whether a material of a portion of the workpiece currently being processed is normal in quality or not, wherein the material inspecting unit employs a neural network trained by using amounts of characteristics extracted from target signals obtained while processing a workpiece made of a normal quality material.

Abstract: A first and a second neural network classify, into normal and abnormal categories, amounts of characteristics extracted from target signals generated when a machine tool is racing prior to machining a workpiece and while the machine tool is machining the workpiece, respectively. A determination unit determines whether an anomaly exists before the machine tool machines the workpiece and while the machine tool is machining the workpiece, and whether there is a fault in the machine tool, based on the classification results from the first and the second neural networks, deviation history between weight coefficients of neurons in an output layer included in the first neural network and the amounts of characteristics extracted by the first characteristics extracting unit, and deviation history between weight coefficients of neurons in an output layer included in the second neural network and the amounts of characteristics extracted by the second characteristics extracting unit.

Abstract: A device for estimating machining dimensions of a machine tool which employs tool members each being rotatably driven by a driving unit includes: a vibration sensor; a characteristics extracting unit for extracting amounts of characteristics from an output of the vibration sensor; a neural network for classifying the amounts of characteristics into categories; and a conversion unit. Amounts of characteristics of generated output by racing the tool member are used for training the neural network, and inputted again to the trained competitive learning neural network to excite neurons so that the relationships between Euclidean distances and machining dimensions of workpieces are registered in the conversion unit.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of evaluating drug sensitivity, which comprises linking a gene polymorphism in the mu-opioid receptor gene or a haplotype composed of the gene polymorphisms to individual drug sensitivity; and an oligonucleotide selected from the group consisting of the nucleotide sequences represented by SEQ ID NOS: 1 to 98.

Abstract: The hydrogen storage alloy electrode comprises: a conductive core material; and an active material layer which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder and is carried on said core material, and the alloy powder has any shape selected from the group consisting of spherical shapes, substantially spherical shapes and oval shapes. The core material comprises: a conductive sheet; and fibrous or columnar sintered nickel pieces bonded to the surface of the conductive sheet. Alternatively, the active material layer comprises: an active material layer A which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder A with a mean particle size “a” and is carried on said core material; and an active material layer B which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder B with a mean particle size “b” and is carried on said active material layer A (wherein a<b). Alternatively, the active material layer further contains a crushed alloy powder having on the surface thereof at least one selected from the group consisting of nickel and cobalt.

Abstract: An image processor for generating, from a surface image of an object having a pattern, a processed image having a distinct contrast between the pattern and a background, is provided. This image processor comprises a first smoothing filter for generating a first smoothed image; a second smoothing filter for generating a second smoothed image; a weighting unit for multiplying each of pixel values of the first smoothed image by a weight coefficient of 1 or more to determine a weighted pixel value; a differential image generator for subtracting each of weighted pixel values provided by the weighting unit from a pixel value of a corresponding pixel of the second smoothed image to generate a differential image; and an image extracting unit for extracting pixel values having the positive sign from the differential image to obtain the processed image. For example, this image processor can be utilized in a pattern recognition apparatus.

Abstract: In the present invention, the same image data, captured by a TV camera, is processed by the use of an image-processing board connected to an extension bus constituted by a personal computer and a CPU board inside the personal computer so that the CPU board and the image-processing board are allowed to execute the image processes in parallel with each other.

Abstract: A method for appearance inspection utilizes a reference image and an object image. Before determining a final reference image for direct comparison with the object image, the outlines of the reference and object images are extracted and processed in accordance with an error function indicative of linear or quadric deformation of the object image in order to derive error parameters including a position, a rotation angle, and a scale of the object image relative to reference image. The resulting error parameters are applied to transform the reference outline. The step of updating the error parameters and transforming the reference outline is repeated until the updated error parameters satisfy a predetermined criterion with respect to a linear or quadric transformation factor of the object image. Thereafter, the last updated parameters are applied to transform the reference image into the final reference image for direct comparison with the object image.

Abstract: There are provided a technique for improving a fuel cell output, and a technique for preventing reduction in an output during operation of a fuel cell. An air electrode consists of catalyst particles, carbon particles supporting the catalyst particles, an ion-exchange resin, a catalyst layer comprising a proton-conducting substance and a conductive porous substrate supporting the catalyst layer.

Abstract: An image recognizing method is provided, which includes the capability of efficiently recognizing characters such as letters and numerical characters included in an original image with accuracy when at least one of the characters is composed of plural elements. In this method, the elements in the original image are extracted to obtain a second image, in which each of the elements is enclosed by a rectangular frame. Then, a composite image is prepared with respect to a combination of the rectangular frames in the second image. After calculating a characteristic amount of the elements included in the composite image, the characteristic amount is input in a back-propagation network, in which learning about a reference character(s) to be included in the image has already finished, so that a degree of agreement between the characteristic amount of the composite image and the reference character is obtained.

Abstract: An image processing method and apparatus for detecting pattern matching between an input mage and a template image at high speed by reducing memory access times. The image processing apparatus includes a first memory for storing a reference pattern as a template, a second memory for storing an input image for which pattern matching with the template is to be detected, means for compressing the template from the first memory and the input image from the second memory by a predetermined compression ratio, a compressed data memory for storing the compressed input image and the compressed template from the compressing means, a main processor for computing inter-correlation between the compressed input image and the compressed template by scanning the compressed input image for each sub-block thereof and determining a location of the compressed input mage showing a best match in a current pattern matching mode.

Abstract: The hydrogen storage alloy electrode comprises: a conductive core material; and an active material layer which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder and is carried on said core material, and the alloy powder has any shape selected from the group consisting of spherical shapes, substantially spherical shapes and oval shapes. The core material comprises: a conductive sheet; and fibrous or columnar sintered nickel pieces bonded to the surface of the conductive sheet. Alternatively, the active material layer comprises: an active material layer A which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder A with a mean particle size “a” and is carried on said core material; and an active material layer B which contains a hydrogen storage alloy powder B with a mean particle size “b” and is carried on said active material layer A (wherein a<b).

Abstract: An image processor for generating, from a surface image of an object having a pattern, a processed image having a distinct contrast between the pattern and a background, is provided. This image processor comprises a first smoothing filter for generating a first smoothed image; a second smoothing filter for generating a second smoothed image; a weighting unit for multiplying each of pixel values of the first smoothed image by a weight coefficient of 1 or more to determine a weighted pixel value; a differential image generator for subtracting each of weighted pixel values provided by the weighting unit from a pixel value of a corresponding pixel of the second smoothed image to generate a differential image; and an image extracting unit for extracting pixel values having the positive sign from the differential image to obtain the processed image. For example, this image processor can be utilized in a pattern recognition apparatus.

Abstract: A method for evaluating sensitivity of a human or animal to a drug, which comprises detecting a difference in an untranslated region of mRNA for a gene in which diversity in the untranslated region of mRNA affects the sensitivity to a drug, and evaluating the sensitivity to a drug based on the detected difference.

Abstract: A position detection system which performs rough detection processing of detecting a rough position of an approximate position of a check object in a check range based on the comparison result of comparison processing of comparing images provided by compressing the check image and a correct solution image subjected to the detection displacement operation of displacing by rough detection displacement amount at a time in the check image, then performs precise detection processing of detecting a more precise position of the check object in the check range in the proximity of the rough position based on the comparison result of comparison processing of comparing images provided by compressing the check image and the correct solution image subjected to the detection displacement operation of displacing by rough detection displacement amount at a time in the check image at a compression rate more moderate than the previous compression rate, and detects the position of the check object in the check range in multiple

Abstract: Structure with elements includes a main body of the element used in gas stream and a plurality of fluid passage. Each outlet of the fluid passage is opened on surface of the main body. Coolant fluid flows from each outlet through the passage to cover the surface as a film-like fluid. The plurality of fluid passages include first fluid passages and second fluid passages. The coolant fluid flows from the outlet of the first fluid passage along the direction of the gas stream on the surface. On the other hand, the coolant fluid also flows from the outlet of the second fluid passage toward the gas stream neighbored on each outlet of the first fluid passage.

Abstract: Structure with elements includes a main body of the element used in gas stream and a plurality of fluid passage. Each outlet of the fluid passage is opened on surface of the main body. Coolant fluid flows from each outlet through the passage to cover the surface as a film-like fluid. The plurality of fluid passages include first fluid passages and second fluid passages. The coolant fluid flows from the outlet of the first fluid passage along the direction of the gas stream on the surface. On the other hand, the coolant fluid also flows from the outlet of the second fluid passage toward the gas stream neighbored on each outlet of the first fluid passage.

Abstract: N-pyridyltoluidine-containing fungicidal water dispersible granule which comprises 3-chloro-N-(3-chloro-5-trifluoromethyl-2-pyridyl)-.alpha.,.alpha.,.alpha.- trifluoro-2,6-dinitro-p-toluidine as a fungicidal active component, a surfactant and a carrier, and of which a 1% water suspension is acescent.

Abstract: A parts mounting device for precisely positioning parts and discriminating whether such position is proper wherein a recognition member recognizes parts and mounting lands on a printed circuit board and such information is processed to achieve a properly mounted part.