Abstract: Hydrogen-rich reformate gas is produced by a fuel reformer (2) from fuel vapor containing hydrocarbon, which is produced by a fuel vaporizer (6), by means of a partial oxidation reaction and a steam reforming reaction. A fuel injector (8, 9) supplies fuel to the fuel vaporizer (6), and an air injector (8a) supplies air to the fuel vaporizer (6). A glow plug (13) partially oxidizes the air-fuel mixture inside the fuel vaporizer (6). By controlling the air supply amount in relation to the fuel supply amount to obtain an excess air factor corresponding to a predetermined rich air-fuel ratio, a part of the air-fuel mixture in the fuel vaporizer (6) is partially oxidized, and the remaining fuel vapor is heated by the oxidation heat. As a result, the partial oxidation reaction and steam reforming reaction in the fuel reformer (2) are performed with a favorable balance.

Abstract: A digital VCO includes an A/D converter (11) for converting a given analog signal to a digital signal, a quartz oscillation circuit (12) having a quartz oscillator for generating a signal having a predetermined frequency, and a variable divider circuit (13) for varying the division ratio according to the digital signal and divides the frequency of the signal generated by the quartz oscillation circuit (12) according to the division ratio.

Abstract: There is provided an element mapping unit, scanning transmission electron microscope, and element mapping method that enable to acquire an element mapping image very easily. On the scanning transmission electron microscope, the electron beam transmitted through an object to be analyzed enters into the element mapping unit. The electron beam is analyzed of its energy into spectrum by an electron spectrometer and an electron energy loss spectrum is acquired. Because the acceleration voltage data for each element and window data for 2-window method, 3-window method or contrast tuning method are already stored in a database and accordingly the spectrum measurement is carried out immediately even when an element to be analyzed is changed to another, the operator can confirm a two-dimensional element distribution map immediately.

Abstract: The vinyl-type conducting polymer precursor is dissolved in solution containing volatile solvent such as methanol, and the precursor fibers are produced by electrospinning. The vinyl-type conducting polymer fibers are produced by heat treatment of the precursor fibers at certain temperature and time in a vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere, or by zone reaction method, followed by doping with dopant.

Abstract: The required RAM capacity is reduced by dividing an interleaving RAM in a baseband modulator into a plurality of areas and having the read side and the write side use some common areas on a time-sharing basis.

Abstract: A fuel reforming device generates reformate gas containing a large amount of hydrogen by reforming a mixture of a hydrocarbon fuel and air, and supplies the reformate gas to a fuel cell stack (14). The fuel reforming device comprises a fuel injector (1) injecting the hydrocarbon fuel into a fuel mixing chamber (24), first and second air distribution valves (10, 11) supplying air to the fuel mixing chamber (24), and a reformer (5) which generates reformate gas by making the air-fuel mixture supplied from the fuel mixing chamber (24) react in the presence of a reforming catalyst. The reformer (5) is also provided with an oxidation catalyst. When the fuel reforming device starts operating, a large amount of air is supplied from the first and second air distribution valves (10, 11) to the fuel mixing chamber (24), and the oxidation catalyst in the reformer (5) promotes oxidation of the air-fuel mixture to warm up the reformer (5).

Abstract: Disclosed is an ultra-thin slot-in disc drive device capable of coping with discs with different outer diameters. The outer rim of a disc 2, inserted via a disc inserting/ejecting opening 19, is held in-between a pair of rotational arms 35, 36, rotationally driven between the major surface of the device facing a disc loading unit 23 and the major surface of the disc 2 inserted via the disc inserting/ejecting opening 19. In this state, the loading operation of retracting the disc 2 via the disc inserting/ejecting opening 19 into the inside of the casing 3, the centering operation of setting the disc 2 in the disc loading unit 23 and the ejecting operation of ejecting the disc 2 through the disc inserting/ejecting opening 19 to outside the casing 3, are carried out.

Abstract: The present invention provides an ultimate analyzer which displays an element distribution image of an object with high contrast and high accuracy. A scanning transmission electron microscope and a method of analyzing elements using the ultimate analyzer is also provided. The ultimate analyzer comprises a scattered electron beam detector for detecting an electron beam scattered by an object; an electron spectrometer for energy dispersing an electron beam transmitted through the object; an electron beam detector for detecting said dispersed electron beam; and a control unit for analyzing elements based on an output signal of the electron beam detected by the electron beam detector and an output signal of the electron beam detected by the scattered electron beam detector.

Abstract: A vehicle speed control system includes a first electronic control unit for transmitting a difference between actual and target vehicle speeds and control constants that vary depending on the vehicle speed difference when it determines fulfillment of vehicle speed control conditions, and a second electronic control unit for performing the vehicle speed control based on the vehicle speed difference and control constants received through a communication line. Change of the control constants for adjustment of a vehicle speed control function of the system can be easily carried out by changing the control constants stored in the first electronic control unit.

Abstract: A fuel reforming system, comprising a reformer (2, 3, 4) which produces reformate gas from rich raw fuel gas, and supplies the reformate gas to the fuel cell (28) during a reforming operation, a burner (1) which produces lean combustion gas, and supplies the lean combustion gas to the reformer (2, 3, 4) during a warmup operation of the reformer (2, 3, 4), and a nonflammable fluid supply apparatus which supplies a nonflammable fluid other than fuel and air to the reformer (2, 3, 4). During the warmup operation of the reformer (2, 3, 4), the lean combustion gas is supplied from the burner (1) to the reformer (2, 3, 4), and when warmup of the reformer (2, 3, 4) is complete, the nonflammable fluid is supplied from the nonflammable fluid supply apparatus to the reformer (2, 3, 4), and the reforming operation of the reformer (2, 3, 4) then starts.

Abstract: There is provided a disk drive including first and second sliding members (69, 71) made to slide in synchronization with each other, a sliding-member movement driving mechanism (70) to move the first sliding member (69) and have the second sliding member (71) slide in synchronization with the sliding of the first sliding member (69), and a shock absorbing mechanism (83) interposed between the first and second sliding members (69, 71).

Abstract: There is provided a disk drive in which a base lifting mechanism (93) makes a first disk chucking operation to place an optical disk (2) on a disk mount (27) by elevating at least a base (31) to a disk chucking position, lowers the base (31) to an intermediate position between the disk chucking position and a disk releasing position so that a disk rotation driving mechanism (28) spins the optical disk (2) which will thus take another phase, elevates the base (31) to the disk chucking position again, and makes a second disk chucking operation to place the optical disk (2) on the disk mount (27). Thus, the optical disk can positively be chucked onto the disk mount.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a disc drive apparatus capable of preventing skew or wobble from occurring when a spindle motor is attached to a base. The disc drive apparatus according to the present invention comprises: a turntable 22 which holds an optical disc 2; a spindle motor which rotatively drives the turntable 22; an optical pick-up 20 which writes/reads signals on or from the optical disc 2; guide shafts 42a and 42b which slidably supports the optical pick-up 20 in the radial direction of the optical disc 2, and a base 15 to which a spindle motor 23 and both end portions of each of the guide shafts 42a and 42b, wherein the spindle motor 23 is attached to the base 15 through a spacer member 28 which performs positioning of the turntable 22 in the vertical direction thereof relative to the base 15.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purification apparatus and method is applied to an internal combustion engine. The internal combustion engine generates an exhaust gas to be introduced to an exhaust system thereof. There is provided a reformer and controller. The reformer introduces a fuel and a part of the exhaust gas and generates a reformed gas including at least hydrogen and the controller is programmed to control a fuel supply amount of the fuel introduced to the reformer and an exhaust gas introduction amount of the exhaust gas introduced to the reformer in accordance with a demanded hydrogen amount of the reformer and operating conditions of the internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas is purified while controlling the fuel supply amount and the exhaust gas introduction amount.

Abstract: A method of manufacture of a semiconductor device uses simplified steps while improving the electrical properties of each element in the semiconductor device. Over a semiconductor substrate having, a memory gate electrode, control gate electrode and gate electrode formed thereover, a silicon oxide film, a silicon nitride film and a silicon oxide film are formed successively. The silicon oxide film formed over the gate electrode is then removed by wet etching. The silicon oxide film, silicon nitride film and silicon oxide film formed over the semiconductor substrate are removed successively by anisotropic dry etching, whereby respective sidewall spacers having a relatively large width and a relatively small width are formed.

Abstract: An electron beam detector detects a peak of a spectrum, and when a peak position is deviated from a reference position on the electron beam detector, a controller for controlling an electron beam position on the electron beam detector is used to correct a deviation. An electron energy loss spectrum is measured while controlling correction a deviation between an electron beam position on a specimen, and a peak position of the spectrum, and a spectrum measuring with the electron beam detector.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ultimate analyzer which can display an element distribution image of an object to be analyzed with high contrast to determine the positions of the element distribution with high accuracy, and a scanning transmission electron microscope and a method of analyzing elements using the ultimate analyzer. The present invention exists in an ultimate analyzer comprising a scattered electron beam detector for detecting an electron beam scattered by an object to be analyzed; an electron spectrometer for energy dispersing an electron beam transmitted through the object to be analyzed; an electron beam detector for detecting said dispersed electron beam; and a control unit for analyzing elements of the object to be analyzed based on an output signal of the electron beam detected by the electron beam detector and an output signal of the electron beam detected by the scattered electron beam detector.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide an ultimate analyzer which can display an element distribution image of an object to be analyzed with high contrast to determine the positions of the element distribution with high accuracy, and a scanning transmission electron microscope and a method of analyzing elements using the ultimate analyzer. The present invention exists in an ultimate analyzer comprising a scattered electron beam detector for detecting an electron beam scattered by an object to be analyzed; an electron spectrometer for energy dispersing an electron beam transmitted through the object to be analyzed; an electron beam detector for detecting said dispersed electron beam; and a control unit for analyzing elements of the object to be analyzed based on an output signal of the electron beam detected by the electron beam detector and an output signal of the electron beam detected by the scattered electron beam detector.

Abstract: A chemically inducible promoter is described that may be used to transform plants, including tobacco and lettuce, with genes which are easily regulatable by adding the plants or plant cells to a medium containing an inducer of the promoter or by removing the plants or plant cells from such medium. The promoter described is one that is inducible by a glucocorticoid which is not endogenous to plants. Such promoters may be used with a variety of genes such as ipt or knotted1 to induce shoot formation in the presence of a glucocorticoid. The promoter may also be used with antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes which are then regulatable by the presence or absence of inducer rather than being constitutive. Other examples of genes which may be placed under the control of the inducible promoter are also presented.

Abstract: An electron beam detector detects a peak of a spectrum, and when a peak position is deviated from a reference position on the electron beam detector, a controller for controlling an electron beam position on the electron beam detector is used to correct a deviation. An electron energy loss spectrum is measured while controlling correction a deviation between an electron beam position on a specimen, and a peak position of the spectrum, and a spectrum measuring with the electron beam detector.