Abstract: A detection sensor (10) includes: plural beam-like resonators (30A, 30B), a vibration characteristic of which changes according to adsorption or sticking of a substance having a mass and one end of each of which is fixed; a driving unit (40) that vibrates the resonators; and a detecting unit (40) that detects a change in the vibration in the resonators to detect the substance. The plural resonators have lengths different from one another. When the length of an arbitrary resonator is represented as L, a difference ?L between the length L and the length of the other resonators is set to satisfy the following condition: 2(?L/L)>1/Q (Q represents a Q factor of the resonators). The driving unit vibrates the respective plural resonators at frequencies corresponding to resonant frequencies of the resonators.

Abstract: A near-field light detection element is provided with a light source, a conductive scatterer for generating near-field light by being irradiated with light from the light source, and a photoelectric conversion element arranged in a near-field light generation region near the scatterer. The scatterer irradiates near-field light to a recording medium, and the near-field light detection element detects an intensity change of the near-field light generated by a change of the dielectric constant of the recording medium based on an electrical conductivity change of the photoelectric conversion element.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that can realize improvement of sensitivity of a vibrator. A platform 50 to which a substance adheres or sticks is provided to be mechanically coupled to a vibrator 20 of a sensor via bridges 51. Sensitivity of the sensor is improved by causing the mass of a substance adhering or sticking onto the platform 50 as if the substance concentratedly adheres or sticks to places where the platform 50 is connected to the vibrator 20. It is preferable to connect, via the bridges 51, the platform 50 to places where the platform 50 vibrates integrally with the vibrator 20. For this purpose, it is preferable to mechanically couple, via the bridges 51, the platform 50 to regions where vibration occurs only in one of an r direction or a ? direction in the vibrator 20.

Abstract: The present invention contributes to getting a reproduction/recording operation done with stability on an information recording medium by utilizing an absorption edge shifting phenomenon. An apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes: a light source 20 for emitting a laser beam; a lens 6 for condensing the beam onto an information recording medium 21; and a photodetector 19 for detecting light reflected from the medium 21, of which a recording layer includes a material that absorbs the beam at an increasing absorptance as the absorption edge of a light absorption spectrum shifts, with a rise in temperature, toward a longer wavelength range as a result of a band-to-band transition of electrons.

Abstract: An acceleration sensor module is provided with sensor chips, first and second collision check sections and an OR circuit so that accelerations in different detection directions can be detected. The sensor chips of the acceleration sensor module can thus be used as a redundancy sensor in an activation device for a passenger protection system. The passenger protection system is thus prevented form being erroneously activated by only an output signal of a microcomputer, because the first switch section is controlled by both outputs of the acceleration sensor module and the microcomputer.

Abstract: There is provided a technique that can increase sensitivity of a resonator. A ratio Rb/Ra between an inner diameter Rb and an outer diameter Ra of the resonator 20 is appropriately selected, and thus there may be a fixed point where an r component (U(Ra) or U(Rb)) of displacement in a radial direction and an r component (V(Ra) or V(Rb)) of displacement in a tangential direction are 0 on an outer diameter portion or an inner diameter portion of the resonator 20. In this case, the resonator 20 is supported by a holding member 22 constituted by a single-span beam set so that a boundary condition on a side of the resonator 20 is pinned and a boundary condition on a side of an anchor that supports the resonator 20 is clamped at the fixed point, and this prevents vibration energy of the resonator 20 from being lost through the holding member 22, avoids a state to disturb a vibration mode, and achieves a sensor having high sensitivity.

Abstract: A near-field light detection element is provided with a light source (6), a conductive scatterer (1) for generating near-field light by being irradiated with light from the light source (6), and a photoelectric conversion element (7) arranged in a near-field light generation region near the scatterer. The scatterer (1) irradiates near-field light to a recording medium (5), and the near-field light detection element detects an intensity change of the near-field light generated by a change of the dielectric constant of the recording medium (5) based on an electrical conductivity change of the photoelectric conversion element (7).

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a detection sensor and a vibrator which can offer improved sensitivity. The present invention uses a scheme in which no piezoelectric layer, drive electrode, or the like is provided on the surface of a vibrator 30 and in which the vibrator 30 is driven by an actuator 40 provided separately from the vibrator 30. The actuator 40 is of a cantilever type and is provided near a fixed end 30a of the vibrator 30. Vibration of the actuator 40 is transmitted to the vibrator 30 via a coupling beam 70. Thus, vibration of the vibrator 30 is prevented from being inhibited by a piezoelectric layer, a drive electrode, or the like. This improves the Q value of the vibrator 30 and thus the sensitivity of the detection sensor 10. Furthermore, if the detection sensor 10 is configured to offer a sensitivity equivalent to that of a conventional one, the size of the detection sensor 10 can be sharply reduced compared to that of the conventional one.

Abstract: By using a disc type resonator, a sensor detects a substance having a mass and the mass with high sensitivity. Moreover, it is preferable to detect a change in vibrations of a substance attached or adsorbed to an area having a vibration amplitude equal to or larger than a constant value. This disc type resonator can be fabricated by the MEMS technique by using single-crystal or polycrystalline Si as a structural material. To improve the attachment efficiency of molecules and the like to be detected, irregularity or a groove is preferably provided on the surface of the disc type resonator.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a sensor that can detect various types of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as acetone, propylene, and alcohols, an environmental contaminant, odor, and the like. The present invention is a sensor comprising a sensor element having at least two types or more of polymer films adsorbing a target substance, measurement means that measures the adsorption properties of the target substance adsorbed on the polymer films, and recognition means that performs multivariate analysis on the measured adsorption properties to recognize the target substance.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a technique that can realize improvement of sensitivity of a vibrator. A platform 50 to which a substance adheres or sticks is provided to be mechanically coupled to a vibrator 20 of a sensor via bridges 51. Sensitivity of the sensor is improved by causing the mass of a substance adhering or sticking onto the platform 50 as if the substance concentratedly adheres or sticks to places where the platform 50 is connected to the vibrator 20. It is preferable to connect, via the bridges 51, the platform 50 to places where the platform 50 vibrates integrally with the vibrator 20. For this purpose, it is preferable to mechanically couple, via the bridges 51, the platform 50 to regions where vibration occurs only in one of an r direction or a ? direction in the vibrator 20.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an occupant protection system for a vehicle, in which an erroneous determination for a rear crash can be avoided. An output signal from an acceleration sensor for a front crash as well as an output signal from a back sonar sensor is also inputted to an electronic control unit (ECU), in addition to an output signal from a main rear crash sensor. Then, the ECU finally determines that a rear crash has occurred, only when the ECU respectively determines the rear crash from each of output signals from the main rear crash sensor, the front crash acceleration sensor and the back sonar sensor.

Abstract: By using a disc type resonator, a sensor detects a substance having a mass and the mass with high sensitivity. Moreover, it is preferable to detect a change in vibrations of a substance attached or adsorbed to an area having a vibration amplitude equal to or larger than a constant value. This disc type resonator can be fabricated by the MEMS technique by using single-crystal or polycrystalline Si as a structural material. To improve the attachment efficiency of molecules and the like to be detected, irregularity or a groove is preferably provided on the surface of the disc type resonator.

Abstract: A modifier for a polylactic acid comprising a block polymer (C) having a polymer block (A) satisfying relationship (1): 7.80??/?<8.54 wherein ? represents a solubility parameter value of a polymer block; and ? represents a density value of a polymer block, and a polymer block (B) satisfying relationship (2): 8.54??/?<9.20 wherein ? and ? have the same meanings as described above, wherein each of the aforementioned polymer block (A) and the aforementioned polymer block (B) is independently a polymer block selected from the group consisting of a polyester block, a polyether block, and a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid block, and said block polymer (C) has a glass transition temperature of 0° C. or lower, can enhance impact resistance, flexibility, and tensile strain, while biodegradability of the polylactic acids and thermal resistance are maintained, and in addition, is free from bleed-out from the moldings formed from a polylactic acid composition.

Abstract: A sensor 10 has a pump 20, an adsorbing unit 30, a gas chromatography unit 40, and a sensor unit 50 all of which are provided on a substrate 80. The pump 20 sucks in and condenses surrounding gas, and the adsorbing unit 30 adsorbs molecules contained in the gas. The gas chromatography unit 40 separates a particular type of molecules from those adsorbed to the adsorbing unit 30. An absorption film in the sensor unit 50 then adsorbs the separated particular type of molecules. The sensor unit 50 detects adsorption of the molecules to the adsorption film. On the basis of the detection level of the adsorption, a measurement processing unit 60 determines the presence of the particular type of molecules or measures the amount of the molecules. The present invention thus detects the presence of a particular type of molecules or measures the amount of the molecules.

Abstract: A molding resin formed from a block copolymer comprising polyhydroxycarboxylic acid structural units (I), and polyester structural units (II) derived from a dicarboxylic acid and a diol; wherein the weight ratio (I)/(II) between the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid structural units (I) and the polyester structural units (II) is within a range from 95/5 to 10/90; the resin has a microphase separated structure in which either the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid structural units (I) or the polyester structural units (II) forms domains within a matrix formed by the other structural units; the average domain size of the domains is within a range from 0.08 to 5.0 ?m; and the weight average molecular weight of the molding resin is within a range from 10,000 to 400,000.

Abstract: A molding resin formed from a block copolymer comprising polyhydroxycarboxylic acid structural units (I), and polyester structural units (II) derived from a dicarboxylic acid and a diol; wherein the weight ratio (I)/(II) between the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid structural units (I) and the polyester structural units (II) is within a range from 95/5 to 10/90; the resin has a microphase separated structure in which either the polyhydroxycarboxylic acid structural units (I) or the polyester structural units (II) forms domains within a matrix formed by the other structural units; the average domain size of the domains is within a range from 0.08 to 5.0 ?m; and the weight average molecular weight of the molding resin is within a range from 10,000 to 400,000.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an occupant protection system for a vehicle, in which an erroneous determination for a rear crash can be avoided. An output signal from an acceleration sensor for a front crash as well as an output signal from a back sonar sensor is also inputted to an electronic control unit (ECU), in addition to an output signal from a main rear crash sensor. Then, the ECU finally determines that a rear crash has occurred, only when the ECU respectively determines the rear crash from each of output signals from the main rear crash sensor, the front crash acceleration sensor and the back sonar sensor.

Abstract: A power supply for vehicles comprises a rush current limitation circuit, a booster circuit, a backup power supply circuit, a first wire harness and a second wire harness. An airbag control ECU is connected to the first wire harness. An engine control ECU, an electrically-driven power steering control ECU, an air-conditioning control ECU and a brake control ECU are connected to the second wire harness. Thus, only one power supply circuit common to the individual vehicle control apparatus is employed in a vehicle so that a vehicle control system comprising a plurality of ECUs can be made compact while the performance of the system can still be maintained.

Abstract: A modifier for a polylactic acid comprising a block polymer (C) having a polymer block (A) satisfying relationship (i) 7.80??/?<8.54 wherein ? represents a solubility parameter value of a polymer block; and ? represents a density value of a polymer block, and a polymer block (B) satisfying relationship (2): 8.54??/?<9.20 wherein ? and ? have the same meanings as described above, wherein each of the aforementioned polymer block (A) and the aforementioned polymer block (B) is independently a polymer block selected from the group consisting of a polyester block, a polyether block, and a polyhydroxycarboxylic acid block, and said block polymer (C) has a glass transition temperature of 0° C. or lower, can enhance impact resistance, flexibility, and tensile strain, while biodegradability of the polylactic acids and thermal resistance are maintained, and in addition, is free from bleed-out from the moldings formed from a polylactic acid composition.