Abstract: A scanning light source includes a semiconductor light source, and scans an instantaneous illumination spot based on the output light of the semiconductor light source in the horizontal direction of the light distribution. A lighting circuit is capable of providing multi-gradation dimming of the amount of light provided by the semiconductor light source at each scanning position in synchronization with the scanning of the scanning light source. The lighting circuit is switchable between the first mode in which the semiconductor light source is controlled by pulse width modulation with a duty cycle that corresponds to the dimming ratio and the second mode in which the semiconductor light source is turned off over the number of cycles that corresponds to the dimming ratio.

Abstract: A method for making a photographic composition gel ready for use in production from a good preservative frozen state, causing no change in photographic properties, wherein a photographic composition gel is melted to a sol by placing a light shielding dielectric preservative container holding lumps of a photographic composition gel in a dielectric heating apparatus which generates high frequencies capable of penetrating to a depth corresponding to the size of the above photographic composition gel lumps, and melting the photographic composition gel to a sol by irradiating the lumps of gel with the above high frequencies from the outside of the container.

Abstract: An organic solvent having a boiling point lower than that of water is removed from liquid containig water and the organic solvent contained in a tank by exhausting air in the tank, wherein an air pressure in the tank is kept about vapor pressure level of the liquid.