Abstract: A lighting device includes a DC/DC converter (step-down chopper circuit) and a control circuit that includes a correction circuit. The correction circuit corrects the timing at which a switching element included in the DC/DC convertor is turned OFF based on a voltage value across a solid-state light-emitting element (LED unit). The correction is made such that an average value of a current flowing through an inductor included in the DC/DC converter is within a predetermined range regardless of a voltage value across the solid-state light-emitting element.

Abstract: A lighting device that is connected to a DC power source and supplies an electric current to a solid-state light-emitting element (LED) whose forward voltage ranges from Vfmin to Vfmax includes a DC/DC converter (buck converter) and a control unit. The DC/DC converter includes a switching element. The control unit turns OFF the switching element by peak current control, and when the solid-state light-emitting element to be connected to the lighting device has a forward voltage of Vfmax, turns ON the switching element in fixed cycles such that the DC/DC converter operates in BCM.

Abstract: A lighting device that lights up an LED and includes a DC power source, a buck converter and a control circuit. The buck converter includes a switching element, an inductor and a diode. The control circuit includes a current detection circuit that detects an electric current flowing through the switching element, a voltage detection circuit that detects a voltage across the inductor, a delay circuit that generates a delay time according to the voltage detected by the voltage detection circuit, and a drive circuit that generates and outputs a control signal to the switching element, the control signal turning OFF the switching element after a lapse of the delay time generated by the delay circuit from when the electric current detected by the current detection circuit reaches a predetermined current command value.

Abstract: An amino acid composition is provided that can promote fat burning, improve endurance, and reduce fatigue during, for example, marathons, and that can lessen obesity and increase stress resistance. The amino acid composition comprises 3.0 to 10.0 mass parts of aspartic acid, 2.5 to 9.0 mass parts of threonine, 2.0 to 9.5 mass parts of serine, 12.0 to 40.0 mass parts of glutamic acid, 7.0 to 20.0 mass parts of proline, 0.5 to 4.5 mass parts of glycine, 1.0 to 4.5 mass parts of alanine, 3.0 to 12.0 mass parts of valine, 0.1 to 0.8 mass part of cystine, 1.5 to 5.0 mass parts of methionine, 2.0 to 8.0 mass parts of isoleucine, 5.0 to 15.0 mass parts of leucine, 3.0 to 10.0 mass parts of tyrosine, 3.0 to 10.0 mass parts of phenylalanine, 4.0 to 15.0 mass parts of lysine, 0.8 to 4.0 mass parts of tryptophan, 1.5 to 5.0 mass parts of histidine, and 2.0 to 6.0 mass parts of arginine, wherein the total amount of these amino acids is 100 mass parts.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for producing a capsule containing a substance which is liable to acid, water or heat, comprising: suspending a substance which is liable to acid, water or heat in a hydrophobic substance which is non-flowable at ambient temperature; encapsulating the resulting suspension; air-drying the resulting capsule at ambient temperature; and vacuum drying or vacuum freeze-drying the air-dried capsule. A capsule obtained by the process is also disclosed.