Abstract: The network relay device of the invention carries out data transmission to and from an opposite device to relay data in a network. The network relay device includes: multiple ports connecting with corresponding multiple ports of the opposite device via multiple links; and a link aggregation control module that aggregates the multiple links to establish a link aggregation, which is regarded as one logic link, and carries out transmission of a control frame signal including a synchronization bit, as well as data transmission, at each port via the link aggregation. In response to detection of occurrence of a trouble in at least one of the aggregated multiple links, the link aggregation control module causes a port that connects with a normal link without the trouble among the multiple ports to stop the data transmission and send the control frame signal including the synchronization bit set equal to a first value.

Abstract: Whether or not a density of black is a predetermined value or more is judged, and when it is judged to be the predetermined value or more, a resolution characteristic is changed to an improved resolution characteristic compared to the resolution characteristic used in a case in which a judgment result shows a value under the predetermined value. When the density of black is deeper, the resolution characteristic is improved, and therefore black is prevented from becoming in a so-called void state. Accordingly, the color close to black such as four-color black can be stably and excellently formed. In addition, when the density of black is the value under the predetermined value, the resolution characteristic lower than this value is used, and therefore dots can be stably formed and an excellent gradation property can be achieved.

Abstract: A technology for delivering a ceramide across the horny layer of skin to sufficiently exert the effects of the ceramide is disclosed. Specifically, an external preparation for skin containing a ceramide delivers the ceramide across the horny layer to near the dermis when the skin preparation is applied on the skin surface. The described skin external preparation contains a ceramide, an organically modified clay mineral, a diester of N-acylglutamic acid, and a phytosterol as components in the form of water-in-oil emulsion.

Abstract: To provide An external skin agent that prevents onset of atopic skin inflammations and is low irritant to skin, which is characterized by including: 1) clay modified by a compound having a quaternary amino group; and 2) a polymer or copolymer that has a side chain including a structure similar to a biological component.

Abstract: Disclosed is a mutant protein having an altered fibroblast growth factor receptor specificity, which is produced by deleting one or more amino acid residues from the N-terminus of the amino acid sequence of naturally secreted fibroblast growth factor 18. The protein mutant can be used in a pharmaceutical composition for regulating hair regeneration or growth or a pharmaceutical composition for regulating bone or cartilage formation.

Abstract: A multimedia communication system having at least one terminals capable of multimedia communication, a user information storage for storing the information on the users of the terminals, a terminal information storage for storing the information on the terminals and a media information storage for storing the occupied/unoccupied status of one or more communication media capable of being used at the terminals, wherein the occupied/unoccupied status of all the communication media for a designated user are read from the media information storage, the dynamic situation of the user is read from the user information storage, and the occupied/unoccupied status thus read is changed in accordance with one or more rules including the conditions for the dynamic situation and the contents of change in the occupied/unoccupied status.

Abstract: A color blindness dialog box in a Properties window includes a color blindness process mode checkbox enabling a user to select a printing process designed for color blindness. When the color blindness process mode checkbox is checked, it is determined whether the image to be printed includes problematic areas for people with color blindness. If so, image data for these areas is extracted and displayed in a popup window. Subsequently, a borderline process is performed to form a borderline on either or both of the border areas and of text data and graphics data. Thus, the problematic areas are extracted and processed properly so that the problematic areas will become easy to distinguish.

Abstract: Disclosed is a skin external preparation containing a triterpenic acid typified by ursolic acid. For obtaining a skin external preparation having excellent storage stability by improving the dissolution stability of the triterpenic acid and the like, 4-alkylresorcinol such as 4-n-butylresorcinol is added into a skin external preparation containing a triterpenic acid and the like such as benzyl ursolate.

Abstract: A fuel feed apparatus is provided for supplying high-pressure fuel to a common rail of an accumulator fuel injection system. The accumulator fuel injection system includes an injector for injecting high-pressure fuel accumulated in the common rail into a combustion chamber of an internal combustion engine. The fuel feed apparatus includes a high-pressure pump for press-feeding fuel to the common rail, and a feed pump for pumping fuel from a fuel tank to the high-pressure pump. A fuel filter is provided downstream of the feed pump for filtering fuel pumped from the feed pump. A return passage is provided for returning fuel from a downstream of the feed pump to an upstream of the feed pump. A return flow control unit is provided for controlling fuel retuning through the return passage.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of minimizing degradation in density correction as a part of skew correction includes a noise-occurrence determining unit, a correction-target-pixel selecting unit, a density correcting unit, and a phase correcting unit. When the noise-occurrence determining unit determines that noise would appear, the density correcting unit performs density correction on a correction target pixel that is determined by the correction-target-pixel selecting unit. The phase correcting unit corrects an output point in time of image data of the density-corrected correction target pixel in a pixel period during which the image data can be output so as to output the image data at a position displaced away from a shift position or toward a shift position.

Abstract: It is intended to elucidate the effect of promoting hair follicle growth and to provide the following therapeutic agents for hair-related problems (1) to (3): (1) a hair growth promoting agent, comprising as an active ingredient an expression vector incorporating a full-length FGF-18, a partial peptide thereof, or a cDNA encoding the full-length FGF-18 or the partial peptide; (2) a hair regrowth promoting agent, comprising as an active ingredient an expression vector incorporating a full-length FGF-18, a partial peptide thereof, or a cDNA encoding the full-length FGF-18 or the partial peptide; and (3) a therapeutic agent for alopecia, comprising as an active ingredient an expression vector incorporating a full-length FGF-18, a partial peptide thereof, or a cDNA encoding the full-length FGF-18 or the partial peptide.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus capable of accurately compensating an increase or decrease of a toner area coverage resulting from shifting that is performed to correct skew is provided. A color density of image data represented by a correction target pixel is corrected such that the increase or decrease in the toner area coverage on the correction target pixel is compensated excluding a toner area coverage on the correction target pixel covered by a toner image that would be formed based on a color density of image data to be represented by a neighboring pixel of the correction target pixel. This effectively reduces banding noise on an output of the image data and prevents degradation in image quality.

Abstract: Disclosed is an agent for skin external preparation which is hardly reduced in viscosity even when stored for a long period under extreme high temperature storage conditions and is therefore stable. The preparation is in an emulsion form, and comprises (1) an alginic acid polyol ester having an esterification degree ranging from 75 to 95% (e.g., alginic acid propylene glycol ester) and/or a salt thereof; (2) a polyvalent metal ion (e.g., a calcium ion); and (3) a 4-alkylresolcinol (e.g., 4-n-butylresolcinol) and/or a salt thereof.

Abstract: A low-pressure pump portion pumps fuel from a fuel tank. A pressure regulating valve controls pressure of fuel discharged from the low-pressure pump portion. A high-pressure pump portion pressurizes the discharged fuel. A valve cover has a mounting portion mounted with the pressure regulating valve. A camshaft moves a movable member to pressurize fuel in a high-pressure pump chamber of a cylinder so as to press-feed the fuel from the high-pressure pump portion. The low-pressure pump portion includes a rotatable member, which is rotatable integrally with the camshaft, and a pump cover, which accommodates the rotatable member. The pump cover is fixed to the pump housing. The valve cover is a separate component from the pump housing and the pump cover.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus, includes: a plurality of image making units each having a charger; a transfer unit, a fixing unit configured to fix the multicolor developer image transferred by the transfer unit on a transfer medium. An exhaust air passage portion overlaps with at least a part of the at least one image making unit in a first direction.

Abstract: The network relay device of the invention carries out data transmission to and from an opposite device to relay data in a network. The network relay device includes: multiple ports connecting with corresponding multiple ports of the opposite device via multiple links; and a link aggregation control module that aggregates the multiple links to establish a link aggregation, which is regarded as one logic link, and carries out transmission of a control frame signal including a synchronization bit, as well as data transmission, at each port via the link aggregation. In response to detection of occurrence of a trouble in at least one of the aggregated multiple links, the link aggregation control module causes a port that connects with a normal link without the trouble among the multiple ports to stop the data transmission and send the control frame signal including the synchronization bit set equal to a first value.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate, wherein control electrode terminals constituting external electrode terminals of the transistors, and first electrode terminals which transmit output signals, are provided on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the control electrode terminals are provided at least one, and a plurality of the first electrode terminals are arranged on one side and a plurality of the first electrode terminals are arranged on the other side with the control electrode terminals being interposed therebetween, wherein a portion including the control electrode terminals and a plurality of the first electrode terminals located on one side of the control electrode terminals constitute a first transistor portion, and wherein a portion including the control electrode terminals and a plurality of the first electrode terminals located on the other side of the control electrode

Abstract: A replaceable unit is detachably attached into an image forming apparatus. The replaceable unit includes: a first cover member provided with a through hole that indicates a direction of the attachment and the detachment of the replaceable unit with respect to the image forming apparatus; and a second cover member having a color different from a color of the first cover member, and being formed to block the through hole from inner side of the replaceable unit when the first cover member is attached to the second cover member.

Abstract: There is provided an image reading device, which is provided with an illuminating unit that illuminates an object, a reading unit that forms an image of the object based on light from the object, and an illumination prohibition unit that prohibits the illumination unit from illuminating the object if the illumination prohibition unit receives a command for changing to a code reading mode in which a code formed by a pictorial pattern displayed on a screen of a device is read as the object.

Abstract: The present invention provides a semiconductor device comprising a semiconductor substrate, and transistors formed on the semiconductor substrate, wherein control electrode terminals constituting external electrode terminals of the transistors, and first electrode terminals which transmit output signals, are provided on a main surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the control electrode terminals are provided at least one, and a plurality of the first electrode terminals are arranged on one side and a plurality of the first electrode terminals are arranged on the other side with the control electrode terminals being interposed therebetween, wherein a portion including the control electrode terminals and a plurality of the first electrode terminals located on one side of the control electrode terminals constitute a first transistor portion, and wherein a portion including the control electrode terminals and a plurality of the first electrode terminals located on the other side of the control electrode