Abstract: A storage system comprises a storage medium including a plurality of physical storage areas. The storage system controls a host computer to recognize a logical volume having a plurality of virtual storage areas, reads the data from the physical storage area assigned to the virtual storage area of the logical volume, determines whether or not the read data includes only the specific pattern data, and cancels the assignment of the physical storage area to the virtual storage area if the read data includes only the specific pattern data.

Abstract: This storage apparatus for providing a dynamically expandable virtual volume to a host system to access the virtual volume comprises an allocation unit for configuring a group with a plurality of disks for providing a storage area to be allocated to the virtual volume, and allocating the storage area respectively from a plurality of the groups to the virtual volume; and a storage area arrangement unit for rearranging the storage area in each of the groups being used by the virtual volume to become optimal among each of the groups based on external operation.

Abstract: When a rock powder which contains silicic acid and aluminum oxide as active ingredients is given to livestock animals, nitrogen compounds including ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen generated in the body of the livestock animals can be chemically adsorbed by aluminum oxide and silicic acid, whereby the over-absorption of the nitrogen compounds through the digestive tract can be suppressed. At the same time, minor elements contained in the rock powder act to fully elicit the activity of a nutritional component capable of suppressing mastitis, e.g., vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, zinc and manganese obtained from the feed. In this manner, the onset of mastitis can be suppressed in a nutritional manner, and a therapeutic effect can be achieved on mastitis that has already been developed.

Abstract: This invention intends to provide the computer system equalizing the storage capacity immediately and appropriately to multiple real logical areas dynamically providing storage capacity to virtual logical areas. This invention is the computer system which, in the process of performing the dynamic allocation of storage areas to virtual volumes in response to accesses from the higher-level device, when adding pool volumes to the pool, migrates storage areas among multiple logical areas, and maintains the balance of the storage capacity.

Abstract: A surgical instrument includes an end effector, a manipulation unit, a grip detecting unit, a driving unit, and a control unit. When the control unit determines that the end effector is applying the acting force to the target based on the information acquired by the grip detecting unit, the control unit sets an acting force increasing zone of a predetermined range in a first movable range in the first direction of the manipulation unit, sets a neutral zone in a remaining area of the first movable range, controls the driving unit so that the acting force increases with a constant gradient with respect to an amount of manipulation of the manipulation unit in the acting force increasing zone, and controls the driving unit so that the acting force is kept constant regardless of the amount of manipulation of the manipulation unit in the neutral zone.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a virtual volume 50, which is a virtual storage area comprising multiple virtual page groups, a pool 60, which is a storage area comprising multiple pool page groups having different access performance, and a controller 13, which comprises a corresponding relationship between the virtual page and the pool page, and accesses the pool page corresponding to the virtual page based on accesses to the virtual page from other apparatuses, and the controller 13, based on an access load trend with respect to each virtual page in each time slot, executes processing for deciding an ideal pool page allocation destination for each virtual page in each time slot, and reallocating a virtual page to the ideal pool page at a time, which is prior to a start time, so that the ideal pool page can be allocated to each virtual page by the start time of each time slot.

Abstract: A storage system and data management method is provided that improves the reliability and fault tolerance of the hard disks saving data utilizing an AOU function. A storage system comprises a first correlating section for correlating a plurality of RAID groups composed of a plurality of physical disks, and the pool region, a second correlating section for correlating the pool region and the storage regions of the virtual volumes, a first allocation section for allocating first data from the host apparatus to the first storage region of the first RAID group based on write requests from the host apparatus, and a second allocation section for distributing second data from the host apparatus at and allocating the second data to any storage regions of the RAID group, with the exception of the first storage region of the first RAID group allocated by the first allocation section, based on write requests.

Abstract: The statuses of an actual area are (1) a first status which indicates that [the actual area] is already initialized and can be assigned to a virtual area, (2) a second status which indicates that [the actual area] is already assigned to a virtual area, and (3) a third status which indicates that [the actual area] cannot be assigned to a virtual area and initialization which is specified data write is to be performed. The storage controller limits the total virtual volume capacity which is the total capacity of one or more virtual volumes which are associated with the pool, in accordance with whether the pool comprises an actual page in the third status or not, to the capacity of the pool or smaller.

Abstract: A surgical instrument device includes a surgical instrument portion which is used in a surgical operation, a slave arm which holds the surgical instrument, a driving rod which is formed in a shaft shape, of which one end portion in the axial direction is connected to the surgical instrument and the other end portion in the axial direction is supported by the slave arm, and which transmits a force between the surgical instrument and the slave arm, a distance change detecting unit which detects a change in distance between two points in the axial direction of the driving rod based on a distance when no load is applied to the surgical instrument, and a force calculating unit which calculates a force applied from the surgical instrument or the slave arm to the driving rod based on the change in distance detected by the distance change detecting unit.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to reduce the amounts of nitrate nitrogen and ammonia, which can be absorbed through the digestive tract and are factors for causing mastitis in livestock animals, thereby reducing the incidence rate of mastitis. A composition for preventing and treating mastitis for livestock animals comprises a rock powder containing silicic acid and aluminum oxide as active ingredients. When the composition is mixed with feed and the feed is given to livestock animals, nitrogen compounds including ammonia nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen generated in the body of the livestock animals can be chemically adsorbed by aluminum oxide and silicic acid, whereby the over-absorption of the nitrogen compounds through the digestive tract can be suppressed. At the same time, minor elements contained in the rock powder act to fully elicit the activity of a nutritional component capable of suppressing mastitis, e.g., vitamin A, vitamin E, copper, zinc and manganese obtained from the feed.

Abstract: A controller in a storage system receives a capacity change command specifying a device, and changes, to a volume capacity value indicating a storage capacity following the capacity change command, a volume capacity value of a virtual volume associated with the device specified in management information, which includes the volume capacity value indicating a storage capacity of the virtual volume. As such, without increasing or decreasing the number of logical volumes associated with a device provided by a host device, the device can be changed in storage capacity.

Abstract: Data written in the primary logical volume of the first storage device are transmitted to the third storage device via the second storage device, the data being written in the same location as the primary logical volume within the secondary logical volume in the third storage device; when transmission of the data stops among the first to the third storage devices, the respective second storage device and the third storage device manage locations in the secondary logical volume where the data held thereby are to be written; and, when transmission of the data resumes among the first to the third storage devices, the locations in the secondary logical volume managed by the respective second and the third storage devices are aggregated, the data to be written in the respective aggregated location in the secondary logical volume being transmitted from the first storage device to the third storage device via the second storage device.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to KIAA1199, which is a novel factor involved in decomposition of hyaluronic acid, and to use thereof. More specifically, the invention is directed to a hyaluronic acid decomposition-promoting agent containing the KIAA1199 gene and a protein encoded by the gene; to a hyaluronic acid decomposition-inhibiting agent characterized by inhibiting the activity or expression thereof (including an siRNA or a monoclonal antibody); and to a method for screening a novel hyaluronic acid decomposition-controlling agent, in which the method contains employing the expression of KIAA1199 as an index.

Abstract: A storage system and data management method is provided that improves the reliability and fault tolerance of the hard disks saving data utilizing an AOU function. A storage system comprises a first correlating section for correlating a plurality of RAID groups composed of a plurality of physical disks, and the pool region, a second correlating section for correlating the pool region and the storage regions of the virtual volumes, a first allocation section for allocating first data from the host apparatus to the first storage region of the first RAID group based on write requests from the host apparatus, and a second allocation section for distributing second data from the host apparatus at and allocating the second data to any storage regions of the RAID group, with the exception of the first storage region of the first RAID group allocated by the first allocation section, based on write requests.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a virtual volume 50, which is a virtual storage area comprising multiple virtual page groups, a pool 60, which is a storage area comprising multiple pool page groups having different access performance, and a controller 13, which comprises a corresponding relationship between the virtual page and the pool page, and accesses the pool page corresponding to the virtual page based on accesses to the virtual page from other apparatuses, and the controller 13, based on an access load trend with respect to each virtual page in each time slot, executes processing for deciding an ideal pool page allocation destination for each virtual page in each time slot, and reallocating a virtual page to the ideal pool page at a time, which is prior to a start time, so that the ideal pool page can be allocated to each virtual page by the start time of each time slot.

Abstract: Data written in the primary logical volume of the first storage device are transmitted to the third storage device via the second storage device, the data being written in the same location as the primary logical volume within the secondary logical volume in the third storage device; when transmission of the data stops among the first to the third storage devices, the respective second storage device and the third storage device manage locations in the secondary logical volume where the data held thereby are to be written; and, when transmission of the data resumes among the first to the third storage devices, the locations in the secondary logical volume managed by the respective second and the third storage devices are aggregated, the data to be written in the respective aggregated location in the secondary logical volume being transmitted from the first storage device to the third storage device via the second storage device.

Abstract: A virtualization system, upon judging that a write operation from a higher-level device is an operation to write in the format of the virtual volume, even when the write position of the write operation is in a virtual area different from a virtual area to which an allocated actual area has been allocated, if there is an unused area in the allocated actual area, writes management information to the unused area according to the write operation, and if there is no unused area in the allocated actual area, newly allocates an unallocated actual area, and writes management information to the newly allocated actual area according to the write operation.

Abstract: The storage system includes a first storage device, configured to be installed in a first site and providing a primary logical volume in which data received from a host computer is written; a second storage device, configured to be installed in a second site and providing a virtual logical volume, which has no structure for storing data received from the first storage system; and a third storage device, configured to be installed in a third site and providing a secondary logical volume in which data received from the second storage system is written. Data written in the primary logical volume of the first storage device are remote-copied to the secondary logical volume of the third storage device via the virtual logical volume of the second storage device.

Abstract: There is provided a solar cell module manufacturing device that includes a molding tool used to mold a solar cell module and a heating unit heating the molding tool. The solar cell module manufacturing device includes heat supply suppressing means that is provided on the molding tool and suppresses the supply of heat to the sealing member when the molding tool in which a sealing member and solar cells have been received is heated by the heating unit.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a method for manufacturing a solar cell module capable of improving positioning accuracy of solar cell elements relative to a light reflection plate. When a solar cell module is manufactured, a corrugated light reflection plate 4 is first prepared by bonding a thermoplastic resin film 7 to a plastic substrate 6. Subsequently, the light reflection plate 4 is set on a lower mold 10, and a thick resin sheet 12 made from an encapsulation resin is arranged on the light reflection plate 4. Then, vacuum suctioning and hot-press processing are performed sequentially, whereby a precursor assembly 13 is formed with the light reflection plate 4 and the resin sheet 12 attached together. Subsequently, a plurality of solar cell elements 2 is placed on an upper surface of the precursor assembly 13. Then, a thin resin sheet 14 made from the encapsulation resin is arranged on the solar cell elements 2, and a front surface plate 3 is arranged on the resin sheet 14.