Abstract: The present invention provides a polyvinyl alcohol resin with which a polyvinyl acetal resin having a controlled particle size and forming less lumps during dissolution to exhibit excellent solubility can be produced. Provided is a polyvinyl alcohol resin containing: methyl acetate; a vinyl alcohol unit; and a vinyl acetate unit, the methyl acetate being contained in an amount of 0.05 to 3% by weight, the vinyl alcohol unit being contained in an amount of 80 to 99.5 mol %, the vinyl acetate unit having a mean chain length LA of 1 to 4.5, the vinyl alcohol unit having a mean chain length LO of 1 to 30.

Abstract: In one aspect, an improved craps system may comprise at least one camera and a dealer station having at least one dealer station memory, at least one dealer station display device, and at least one dealer station processor in communication with the at least one camera. The at least one dealer station processor may be configured to receive the information from the camera regarding the throw of dice and determine, based upon the information, whether the throw complies with one or more requirements for a proper throw of dice.

Abstract: A method and a system of supplying electric power from shore to a ship with generators 60, 61, the ship being berthed in port include: a first step of synchronizing the electric power 11 from shore with electric power from the generators 60, 61, a second step of carrying out temporary parallel operation of the electric power 11 from shore and the electric power from the generators 60, 61 after the synchronization, and a third step of shutting off the electric power from the generators 60, 61 to supply the electric power 11 from shore to the ship after the temporary parallel operation. According to the method and system, electric power supply interruption can be prevented when a shore power source is changed over to an onboard power source, and vice versa. Also, onboard control devices can be smoothly operated even on the way of changing over the power sources.

Abstract: A method and a system of supplying electric power from shore to a ship with generators 60, 61, the ship being berthed in port include: a first step of synchronizing the electric power 11 from shore with electric power from the generators 60, 61, a second step of carrying out temporary parallel operation of the electric power 11 from shore and the electric power from the generators 60, 61 after the synchronization, and a third step of shutting off the electric power from the generators 60, 61 to supply the electric power 11 from shore to the ship after the temporary parallel operation. According to the method and system, electric power supply interruption can be prevented when a shore power source is changed over to an onboard power source, and vice versa. Also, onboard control devices can be smoothly operated even on the way of changing over the power sources.

Abstract: An optical disk master having a diffraction structure including guide grooves and small pre-pits of a width narrower than a diffraction limit determined by a wavelength of light used is produced by preparing a photoresist layer subjected to anti-dissolution surface treatment, narrowing the spot diameter of a zero-th diffracted beam irradiated on the photoresist layer by a super resolution optics device, and effecting high contrast development to leave behind, as it is, a portion of the photoresist layer exposed to adverse higher order diffracted beams caused by super resolution. An optical disk produced from the master has a diffraction structure including tracks and/or pre-pits formed along a spiral track or concentric tracks and having a width narrower than a diffraction limit determined by a wavelength of light used in the course of formation of the diffraction structure.

Abstract: It is possible to improve the resolution of a formed pattern by utilizing anti-dissolution surface treatment of a photoresist layer and super resolution of an optical system, thereby to print a finer pattern having a narrower width than that of the resolving power determined by the wavelength of light used and the numerical aperture of a projection optical system, and patterning in the order of submicron is made possible easily when applied to a printing technique in a manufacturing process of semiconductor integrated circuits.