Abstract: The present invention relates to a liquid-crystal composition comprising (A) dye compounds and (B) a liquid-crystal material, wherein the dye compounds (A) include an anthraquinone compound represented by general formula (1) and an anthraquinone compound represented by general formula (2) in a specific proportion and further include a dye compound which is neither the anthraquinone compound represented by general formula (1) nor the anthraquinone compound represented by general formula (2). The present invention further relates to a liquid-crystal composition comprising the (A) and (B) components and further containing (C) a. photocurable compound and (D) a photopolymerization initiator, a cured object obtained from the liquid-crystal composition, and a light-modulating element in which the liquid-crystal composition or the cured object is sandwiched therein.

Abstract: Provided is an electrosilver plating bath yielding a semiglossy to glossy appearance across a wide current density range without the use of a cyan compound, and a plating method using the electrosilver plating bath. An electrosilver plating fluid that is an aqueous solution containing (A) at least one soluble silver compound, (B) at least one benzoic acid derivative or a salt of the derivative, and (C) at least one acid and/or complexing agent, wherein the benzoic acid derivative is expressed by the following general formula (m is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5; Ra is a carboxyl group; individual instances of Rb are selected independently from an aldehyde group, a carboxyl group, an amino group, a hydroxyl group, or a sulfonic acid group; individual instances of Rc are independently oxygen or any substituent; and one or more oxygen or CH2 may be introduced into the bond between Ra or Rb and a benzene ring.

Abstract: A wire material having a copper-zinc alloy layer, which is formed by action of thermal diffusion, and a zinc layer on its circumference surface is subjected to processes, including from a step of drawing the wire material to a step of reducing the diameter of the product, to reliably crash the copper-zinc alloy layer into particles. The particles are embedded in the circumference surface of a core to integrate the diffusion alloy layer and zinc layer with the core and prevent the diffusion alloy layer and zinc layer from falling off from the core. In addition, in order to cover cracks formed in the copper-zinc alloy layer during wire drawing with a zinc thin film, wire drawing is performed at temperatures appropriate for maintaining good malleability and ductility of zinc.

Abstract: A wire material having a copper-zinc alloy layer, which is formed by action of thermal diffusion, and a zinc layer on its circumference surface is subjected to processes, including from a step of drawing the wire material to a step of reducing the diameter of the product, to reliably crash the copper-zinc alloy layer into particles. The particles are embedded in the circumference surface of a core to integrate the diffusion alloy layer and zinc layer with the core and prevent the diffusion alloy layer and zinc layer from falling off from the core. In addition, in order to cover cracks formed in the copper-zinc alloy layer during wire drawing with a zinc thin film, wire drawing is performed at temperatures appropriate for maintaining good malleability and ductility of zinc.

Abstract: There is provided a flash memory apparatus for storing data aggregate having a plurality of types of data in and reproduce the data aggregate from a flash memory via a plurality of ports. The flash memory apparatus includes a plurality of access request units configure to request to write data in one block of the flash memory by aligning a writing position of one block data with a page unit on a data type basis of the flash memory when the data classified by type that are inputted via the ports corresponding to the access request units on the one-to-one basis are stored to reach an amount relative to one block of the flash memory, and an access controller configured to write the data in the flash memory during time division allocated per port based on the requests incited by the respective access request units.

Abstract: An electrode wire for wire electrodischarge machining includes a core made of copper or copper alloy, a pure zinc layer formed by hot-dip galvanizing the core, and a relatively thin copper-zinc alloy layer formed by mutual thermal diffusion across the interface between the pure zinc layer and the core and having a zinc concentration gradient. The electrode wire is not cracked during its production. The thickness of the copper-zinc alloy layer, the gradient of zinc concentration, and the thickness of the outermost pure zinc layer can be controlled by selecting the dipping time and the temperature of the hot-dip galvanizing bath as appropriate. By blowing a non-oxidizing gas from a bath surface zinc purifying and wiping device disposed above the bath surface through which the core emerges from the hot-dip galvanizing bath, the pure zinc bath surface is kept exposed and runs and uneven thickness of the galvanizing layer are prevented.

Abstract: The aim of the present invention is to provide a method for silver plating that does not comprise the step of forming the nickel-underlayer and that can form a silver-plated layer having sufficient adherence directly on the difficult-to-plate substrates with the use of a halide-free plating bath under a good working environment. The present invention provides a silver plating method onto a substrate on which an oxide layer inhibiting adherence of a plated layer is prone to form, comprising at least the following steps of; (A) degreasing the substrate, (B) removing the oxide layer with a strongly acidic solution from the substrate, and (C) silver plating onto the substrate, without a step of nickel or nickel alloy strike plating in advance, utilizing a phosphines-containing acidic silver plating bath which essentially does not contain halide ion or cyanide ion.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for silver plating using a non-cyanide acid silver plating bath to form a silver plating film exhibiting good adhesiveness while suppressing dissolution of resist in pattern plating. The method includes conducting strike plating using a non-cyanide acid strike plating bath prior to the silver plating.

Abstract: There is provided a flash memory apparatus for storing data aggregate having a plurality of types of data in and reproduce the data aggregate from a flash memory via a plurality of ports. The flash memory apparatus includes a plurality of access request units configure to request to write data in one block of the flash memory by aligning a writing position of one block data with a page unit on a data type basis of the flash memory when the data classified by type that are inputted via the ports corresponding to the access request units on the one-to-one basis are stored to reach an amount relative to one block of the flash memory, and an access controller configured to write the data in the flash memory during time division allocated per port based on the requests incited by the respective access request units.

Abstract: A pretreatment solution for providing a catalyst for electroless plating and a pretreatment method using the solution are provided. The pretreatment solution comprises a silver colloidal solution containing, as essential components, at least the following components (I), (II) and (III): (I) silver colloidal particles, (II) one or more ions selected from an ion of a metal having an electric potential which can reduce a silver ion to metal silver in the solution and an ion oxidized at the time of reduction of the silver ion, and (III) one or more ions selected from a hydroxycarboxylate ion, a condensed phosphate ion and an amine carboxylate ion, the silver colloidal particles (I) being produced by the ion of the metal (II) having an electric potential which can reduce a silver ion to metal silver. When an object to be plated is pretreated by use of the pretreatment solution, provision of an effective catalyst for electroless plating is achieved.

Abstract: A data recording and reproducing apparatus (11) which generates a plurality of divided data through dividing input data D1 using a distributor (22) if recording data, while generating redundancy-code data P1 and P2 using Read-Solomon-code data which can perform error-correcting on a plurality of divided data, and records the divided data and the redundancy-code data P1, P2 on HDDs 211 to 21K, 281 and 28Z. The data recording and reproducing apparatus (11) reproduces the divided data and the redundancy-code data from the HDDs 211 to 21K, 281 and 28Z, performs error-correcting processing on the divided data based on the redundancy-code data by an error corrector (31), and outputs the divided data which have been error-corrected after multiplying the divided data by a data multiplier (32) if reproducing data.

Abstract: An image recording and reproducing apparatus and an image recording and reproducing method in which, in an AV server using a so-called G-Shuttle system, the processing required in the high-speed playback mode can be simplified. A corresponding relationship between image groups results from dividing image data of each image unit by a plurality of image groups and groups of a first memory are being cyclically changed at every image unit, the image groups are recorded by the first memory and error-correcting codes of the image groups are generated at every image unit and recorded by a second memory. During normal speed playback, the image groups and the error-correcting codes are reproduced and digital errors of the image groups are corrected. During high-speed playback, the error-correcting codes are not reproduced.

Abstract: A method for forming a circuit pattern includes at least a step (a) of subjecting a non-conductor to electroless copper plating to form a copper film and a step (b) of etching the copper film so as to form a circuit pattern. As a catalyst for the electroless copper plating, a silver colloidal solution is used containing as essential components at least the following: (I) silver colloidal particles; (II) one or more of ions of metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver in the solution and/or ions which result from oxidation of the ion at the time of reduction of the silver ions; and (III) one or more of hydroxycarboxylate, condensed phosphate and/or amine carboxylate ions. The silver colloidal particles (I) are produced by the ion (II) of the metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver. The circuit pattern may be formed on a printed wiring board.

Abstract: The present invention provides a tin-containing plating bath comprising: (a) a soluble stannous salt, or a mixture of a soluble stannous salt and at least one soluble salt selected from the group consisting of copper salts, bismuth salts, silver salts, indium salts, zinc salts, nickel salts, cobalt salts and antimony salts; and (b) at least one aliphatic sulfonic acid selected from the group consisting of alkanesulfonic acids and alkanolsulfonic acids, the aliphatic sulfonic acid being a purified aliphatic sulfonic acid in which the total amount of sulfur-containing compounds as impurities consisting of compound(s) containing one or more sulfur atoms with an oxidation number of +4 or less in the molecule and compound(s) containing one or more sulfur atoms and one or more chlorine atoms in the molecule is a minute amount or less. A tin or tin alloy plating film with excellent reflowability, film appearance, etc. can be formed by the use of this plating bath.

Abstract: A data storing apparatus for inputting and outputting a plurality of types of data in parallel and storing data with a disc shaped record medium that is randomly accessible is disclosed, that comprises an inputting means for inputting a plurality of types of data in parallel and categorizing the plurality of types of data for each type, a recording means composed of at least one disc shaped record medium that is randomly accessible, and a record controlling means for distributively recording at least one channel of and the plurality of types of data that is input by said inputting means to radially divided areas of the disc shaped record medium, the radially divided areas corresponding to the types of data.

Abstract: A method for forming a circuit pattern includes at least a step (a) of subjecting a non-conductor to electroless copper plating to form a copper film and a step (b) of etching the copper film so as to form a circuit pattern. As a catalyst for the electroless copper plating, a silver colloidal solution is used containing as essential components at least the following: (I) silver colloidal particles; (II) one or more of ions of metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver in the solution and/or ions which result from oxidation of the ion at the time of reduction of the silver ions; and (III) one or more of hydroxycarboxylate, condensed phosphate and/or amine carboxylate ions. The silver colloidal particles (I) are produced by the ion (II) of the metal having an electric potential which can reduce silver ions to metal silver. The circuit pattern may be formed on a printed wiring board.

Abstract: There is provided an image reproducing apparatus and an image reproducing method which allow reproducing speed to be shifted instantly when a change of the reproducing speed is requested in a multi-channel AV (Audio Visual) server. When a request to reproduce an image is made, the image reproducing apparatus reads image data of the part corresponding to the requested reproducing speed out of the HDDs to store in a temporary storage section. Then, an image output I/F reads the image data stored in the temporary storage section and structures a reproduced image by using the image data. In this case, a controller section controls a pattern in reading the divisional data by the image output I/F and structures a reproduced image by means of various reproducing speeds by this reading pattern.

Abstract: A data recording and reproducing apparatus (11) which generates a plurality of divided data through dividing input data DI using a distributor (22) if recording data, while generating redundancy-code data P1 and P2 using Read-Solomon-code data which can perform error-correcting on a plurality of divided data, and records the divided data and the redundancy-code data P1, P2 on HDDs 211 to 21K, 281 and 28Z. The data recording and reproducing apparatus (11) reproduces the divided data and the redundancy-code data from the HDDs 211 to 21K, 281 and 28Z, performs error-correcting processing on the divided data based on the redundancy-code data by an error corrector (31), and outputs the divided data which have been error-corrected after multiplying the divided data by a data multiplier (32) if reproducing data.

Abstract: A data recording and reproducing apparatus capable of easily obtaining information which has few dropout and is necessary for variable speed reproduction at the time of variable speed reproduction. An image group dividing unit divides input image data into a plurality of image groups on a unit image basis, thereby forming plural divided data. After the formed divided data is temporarily stored into an image data temporary storing unit, the divided data is outputted as image data which is a data stream of the divided data in a predetermined image unit to a disk array apparatus via an HDD output interface unit. Each disk array apparatus records the divided data into HDDs so as to periodically change the relation between the HDDs and the groups of data to be recorded to the HDDs in a predetermined pattern.

Abstract: In a video data reproducing apparatus adapted for reading out data including video data stored on plural non-linear accessible recording media by time slots allocated thereto to output those data, when the video data which has been read out from the recording medium is outputted to the external as n (n>1) times speed video data, a processing is carried out by a reproduction picture dividing section 11 such that when n is integer, output image 1 frame is divided by n, while when n is not integer, output image 1 frame is divided by m (m is integral part of n: n=m. . . . ), and such a processing is carried out by a reproduction image generating section 13 to allocate n frames or m frames of the video data which has been read out from the recording medium to the output image 1 frame divided by n or divided by m to generate reproduction image.