Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal mixed-composition comprising one or more cellulose derivatives and one or more liquid crystal compounds (preferably low-molecular liquid crystal compound) which can be oriented in a specific direction differing from that of the cellulose derivative, wherein the ratio by weight of the both is preferably in a range from 1:9 to 9:1, a retardation film produced using the composition, a circularly or elliptically polarizing film using the retardation film and an image display device provided with a circularly or elliptically polarizing film. The liquid crystal mixed-composition can be easily oriented in a specific direction on a rubbed substrate. If this orientation is fixed, a retardation film can be easily obtained which has such wavelength dispersion characteristics that the same level of retardation can be imparted to each wavelength in a wide visible region.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polarizing film obtained by stretching a polyvinyl alcohol resin film containing iodine, an iodide a cross-linking agent and/or waterproofing agent and then treating the film with a solution containing 0.0001 to 5.0 wt % of inorganic acid except for boric acid or a salt thereof and/or organic acid and having a pH of preferably 2?pH?5, more preferably 2.2?pH?5. Said polarizing film is excellent in wet heat durability and shows less decrease in polarization characteristics in wet heat test and said polarizing film obtained in a further preferable embodiment is also excellent in dry heat durability.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a retardation film obtained by subjecting a film formed from a cellulose derivative to an orientation treatment, wherein a hydroxyl group of cellulose is substituted by at least one kind of aliphatic acyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, and a degree of substitution by said hydroxyl group is 1 to 3. According to the present invention, a retardation film having various wavelength dispersion characteristics, positiveness or negativeness in birefringence and viewing angle characteristics, in particular, an achromatic retardation film and a retardation film having a high birefringent property and the like can be obtained by preparing a retardation film using a properly selected said cellulose derivative as a raw material of the film.

Abstract: A storage controller of the present invention reduces maintenance work by the user by irreplaceably mounting the respective component parts inside an enclosure. A plurality of disk drives, which comprise a spare drive, and repair slots are arranged in close proximity in a matrix on the front side inside the enclosure. A backboard is disposed rearward of the respective disk drives. A plurality of control boards are arranged rearward of the backboard by being stacked one atop the other. A plurality of disk drives and a plurality of batteries respectively stacked one atop the other are arranged on the one side of the respective control boards. A plurality of power devices stacked one atop the other are arranged on the other side of the respective control boards. A plurality of cooling fans are arranged in the center part of the enclosure. The respective parts are affixed to the enclosure so as to be irreplaceable under normal circumstances.

Abstract: The invention provides an optical film prepared by laminating at least one of a first retardation film (2), having a mean in-plane refractive index of n0 and refractive index in the thickness direction of ne wherein ne?no>0, and at least one of a second retardation film (3) having an in-plane refractive index of nx in the direction showing the maximum refractive index, refractive index of ny in the direction perpendicular to the direction described just before, and refractive index in the thickness direction of nz wherein nx>ny?nz. The light leakage occurred as the observation point is tilted from the front direction to a direction different from the direction of each absorption axis can be reduced when a polarizing film is arranged so that the absorption axes will be perpendicular to each other.

Abstract: A testing apparatus for performing a setup testing or a hold testing on a device under test (“DUT”) storing a given data signal according to a given clock signal is provided, wherein the testing apparatus includes a timing generating unit for generating sequentially a plurality of timing signals having different timings during the setup testing or the hold testing on the basis of a fist offset value given before starting the setup testing or the hold testing; a pattern generating unit for generating the clock signal and the data signal; a pattern formatting unit for shifting the phase of the data signal with respect to the clock signal sequentially according to the timing signals sequentially generated and providing the DUT with the clock signal and the phase-shifted data signal sequentially; and a determining module for acquiring a setup time or a hold time of the DUT on the basis of storage data which are the data signals stored by the DUT.

Abstract: An object is to provide a space providing system that can be flexibly adapted to a modification to the configuration of a space structure in accordance with the intended purpose of a conference or exhibition and to replacement or addition of an information apparatus. In a space structure constructed by joining one or more post members extending upwardly from the floor and one or more horizontal beams extending parallel to the floor, connection means that can be fixed at a desired position is provided, by which a service providing apparatus is connected to the space structure. In addition, a space management server that detects and manages a service provided by the service providing apparatus is provided.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for improving the contrast ratio of the display image projected on a screen from a liquid crystal projector that comprises at least a light source, an electrode-having, twisted nematic liquid crystal cell comprising at least one nematic liquid crystal, and two polarizers disposed so that the liquid crystal cell is sandwiched between them, which is characterized in that at least two HBLC optical films are so arrayed between the polarizers that the slow axes of the films are approximately perpendicular to each other so as not to cause a retardation in the direction normal to the film surfaces; and provides a liquid crystal projector that uses the improving method.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a retardation film obtained by subjecting a film formed from a cellulose derivative to an orientation treatment, wherein a hydroxyl group of cellulose is substituted by at least one kind of aliphatic acyl group having 5 to 20 carbon atoms, and a degree of substitution by said hydroxyl group is 1 to 3. According to the present invention, a retardation film having various wavelength dispersion characteristics, positiveness or negativeness in birefringence and viewing angle characteristics, in particular, an achromatic retardation film and a retardation film having a high birefringent property and the like can be obtained by preparing a retardation film using a properly selected said cellulose derivative as a raw material of the film.

Abstract: A phase difference film which comprises a liquid crystal film having a liquid crystal comprised of a cellulose derivative as a liquid crystal compound (cellulose derivative liquid crystal) being oriented in a specific direction, preferably said phase difference film wherein said orientation in a specific direction is fixed. In said liquid crystal film, through changing appropriately the molecular weight of the cellulose derivative, the composition of the liquid crystal, the degree of the orientation, and the like, films having various wave length dispersion characteristics can be prepared with ease, and further a phase difference film satisfying the following relationship: ?n450=?n550=?n650 (1) wherein ?n550 represents a double refractive index at a wave length of 550 nm, ?n450 represents a double refractive index at a wave length of 450 nm, and ?n650 represents a double refractive index at a wave length of 650 nm, can be prepared without laminating a plurality of phase difference films.

Abstract: Respective portions to contact a shaft do not contact the shaft in a stable condition. At least three projections 3, 3a, . . . are formed in an inner periphery of a C-shaped base material 2 that has an opening portion 1 at one place of an outer periphery that expands toward the outer circumference, and spaces between the adjacent projections 3, 3a, . . . are made inner notches 5, 5a, . . . . Inner edges of the projections 3, 3a, . . . are shaped like a convex circular arc circumscribed to an outer circumferential surface of a mounting region of the shaft S. Thus, the respective projections 3, 3a, . . . can abut the shaft at one point, so that the retaining ring for shaft of the present application can be mounted to the shaft in a good posture.

Abstract: There are provided a novel microorganism Enterobacter sp. B20 strain which produces (E)-4-(2-isocyanovinyl)phenyl ?-rhamnopyranoside having a favorable effect of inhibiting melanogenesis and ?-L-rhamnopyranoside produced thereby. This novel microorganism is a gram-negative bacillus isolated from soil and shows motility owing to polar flagellum. The ?-L-rhamnopyranoside, which is produced by culturing the microorganism under aerobic conditions at a culture temperature of 10 to 37° C. and at a medium pH of about 5 to 9 usually for about 1 to 7 days, is useful as a highly safe and stable whitening agent.

Abstract: A problem where a tool is deformed when a retaining ring is fitted on a shaft is solved. Plate members (2, 2a) positioned at at least one side of a full back surface of a retaining ring (W) are arranged at a holder (1) provided at the head of a tool body. A contact portion (3), a portion opposite an opening portion (Y) in the outer periphery of the retaining ring (W), is provided more backward than the heads of the plate members (2, 2a). A fall-off prevention structure (4) from which the retaining ring (W) can be easily detached is provided at the holder (1). There are sheltering spaces (5, 5a) arranged outside both side portions of the retaining ring (W) in its installed state. When the retaining ring (W) is installed to the holder (1), the retaining ring (W) does not fall off because of the fall-off prevention structure (4).

Abstract: A substrate for alignment whereby a vertically aligned liquid crystal retardation film can be obtained by a simple method without special treatment, and a fabrication method of a vertically aligned liquid crystal retardation film using the substrate for alignment, are provided. By using a substrate for vertical alignment in which a layer of an acrylic polymer is formed on the surface of a layer of an inorganic substance, and providing a layer of a liquid crystal compound on the substrate by coating, etc., the liquid crystal compound can be vertically aligned.

Abstract: The invention relates to a liquid crystal mixed-composition comprising one or more cellulose derivatives and one or more liquid crystal compounds (preferably low-molecular liquid crystal compound) which can be oriented in a specific direction differing from that of the cellulose derivative, wherein the ratio by weight of the both is preferably in a range from 1:9 to 9:1, a retardation film produced using the composition, a circularly or elliptically polarizing film using the retardation film and an image display device provided with a circularly or elliptically polarizing film. The liquid crystal mixed-composition can be easily oriented in a specific direction on a rubbed substrate. If this orientation is fixed, a retardation film can be easily obtained which has such wavelength dispersion characteristics that the same level of retardation can be imparted to each wavelength in a wide visible region.

Abstract: A jitter measuring apparatus for measuring jitter of an output signal output by an electronic device is provided, wherein the jitter measuring apparatus includes a multi-strobe generating unit for generating multi-strobe having more than or equal to three (3) strobes a plurality of times synchronously with the output signal output a plurality of times by the electronic device, a value detecting unit for detecting a value of the output signal for each strobe of the multi-strobe generated a plurality of times by the multi-strobe generating unit, a transition point detecting unit for detecting the position of a transition point of the value of each output signal on the basis of the value of the output signal detected by the value detecting unit, and a histogram generating unit for counting how many times the transition point detecting unit detects the transition point at every position of the transition point of the value of the output signal.

Abstract: (1) There are provided a UV-curable resin composition for alignment film and an alignment film which is prepared by curing the composition with UV rays. (2) The migration of a material which is present in a polymer film and capable of affecting the optical properties of a liquid crystalline compound layer to the liquid crystalline compound layer is controlled or blocked. (1) A UV-curable resin composition for alignment film comprising at least one (meth)acrylate compound having one or more polar groups and one or more (meth)acryloyl groups in the molecule and a photoinitiator; and an alignment film which is prepared by curing the composition with UV rays. (2) A protective layer inserted between a polymer film and a liquid crystalline compound layer for controlling or blocking the migration of a material, which is present in a polymer film and capable of affecting the optical properties of the liquid crystalline compound layer, to the liquid crystalline compound layer.