Abstract: The polycrystalline thin film is made of a composite oxide of a cubic crystal system which has a pyrochlore type crystalline structure of a composition represented as either AZrO or AHfO (A in the formula represents a rare earth element selected from among Y, Yb, Tm, Er, Ho, Dy, Eu, Gd, Sm, Nd, Pr, Ce and La) formed on the film forming surface of the polycrystalline substrate, wherein the grain boundary misalignment angle between the same crystal axes of different crystal grains in the polycrystalline thin film along a plane parallel to the film forming surface of the polycrystalline substrate are controlled within 30°.

Abstract: A technique for controlling membrane denaturation reactions other than physical shear force was developed. For example, the present invention provides, a method for causing membrane disruption at a specific site by reacting a stimulus such as light with a compound that is activated by the stimulus, where the reaction occurs on a membrane such as a biomembrane. It also provides a membrane structure such as cells in which a specific site has been disrupted, which are obtained by the present method. Introduction of substances such as genes also became possible by using this membrane structure. Further provided is a membrane-destroying member for disrupting a membrane at a specific site. Thus, the present invention enabled, for example, easy membrane penetration using components constituting microelectrodes, micromanipulators, and microinjectors, which were conventionally hardly usable in penetrating cell membranes.

Abstract: Sustained release formulation containing tacrolimus or its hydrate is provided. The time (T63.2%) required for 63.2% of the maximum amount of tacrolimus or its hydrate to be dissolved is 0.7 to 15 hours. The time is measured in accordance to the Japanese Pharmacopoeia, the 13-th edition, Dissolution Test, No. 2 (Puddle method, 50 rpm) using an aqueous 0.005% hydroxypropyl cellulose solution. This aqueous test solution is adjusted to pH 4.5, accordingly. The formulation further comprise a solid base which is a water-soluble polymer and/or wax. The formulation is in the form of a powder, fine powder, granule, tablet or capsule. Furthermore, the formulation is administered to a patient once a day for preventing organ or tissue rejection by transplantation or autoimmune diseases.

Abstract: An apparatus for automatically measuring minute membrane potential, based on a technique developed for controlling a membrane denaturation reaction without using a physical shearing force, for example, a method of causing the destruction of membrane at a limited portion of a living membrane by making a stimulus, such as light and a compound activated by the stimulus react with each other in a membrane, such as a living membrane, this method being applied to a minute electrode to facilitate the insertion thereof into a cell, which has been difficult in the use of a minute metal electrode, and enable membrane potential in a cell to be measured easily, the minute metal electrode enabling the integration thereof and the development of a neural interface in the barrier-free technology.

Abstract: A door closing apparatus that is adapted to be disposed on a vehicle door having a door inner panel and an indoor trim includes a door lock mechanism having a latch, a pawl and a latch lever fixedly secured to a rotary shaft of the latch, a bracket adapted to be supported in a fixed relationship with respect to the door panel, and a passive lever rotatably supported by the bracket and provided with a free end portion adapted to contact the latch lever, and a drive source which rotates the passive lever. A shaft portion rotatably supports the passive lever with respect to the bracket, and a nut threadedly engages the shaft portion and is removable from the shaft portion, with the nut being positioned at a side of the bracket facing the indoor trim. In the event the latch lever is unable to rotate (e.g., due to disconnection of an electrical wire or motor malfunction), the indoor trim of the vehicle door can be partially peeled off and the nut removed to manually move the passive lever.

Abstract: A camera system includes a display monitor which displays an image of an object, taken by an optical unit, on a screen of the monitor. A reading unit reads a preceding image and a current image among a plurality of partially overlapping images, from a memory device, the preceding image and the current image containing a common element. A determining unit determines a positional relation between the preceding image and the current image based on a common pattern derived from the common element in the two adjacent images read by the reading unit. A displaying unit displays an image indicating a boundary of the preceding image on the screen of the monitor at a shifted position according to the positional relation determined by the determining unit, with the current image concurrently displayed on the screen of the monitor.

Abstract: A method is presented for making a polycrystalline thin film (B) by depositing particles emitted from a target (36) on a substrate base (A) to form the film (B) constituted by the target material while concurrently irradiating the depositing particles with an ion beam generated by an ion source (39) at an angle of incidence, in a range of 50 to 60 degrees to a normal (H) to a film surface, and maintaining a film temperature at less than 300 degrees Celsius. This method is effective in producing an excellent alignment of crystal axes of the grains in the film when the film thickness exceeds 200 nm. The target material includes yttrium-stabilized zirconia but other material can also be used. A layer (C) of a superconducting substance formed on top of the polycrystalline thin film (B) produces a superconducting film (22) exhibiting excellent superconducting properties.

Abstract: A seat sliding apparatus has left and right rail pairs each including an upper rail for supporting a seat and a lower rail for fixing to a vehicle body. In each of the left and right rail pairs, left and right resin sliders are attached to lateral edges of the upper or lower rails, to facilitate sliding motion of the upper rail along the lower rail. Each resin slider has a larger engaging portion and a smaller engaging portion. The left and right resin sliders are arranged in parallel to each other, but extended in opposite direction, so that the larger engaging portion is ahead of the smaller engaging portion in one of the left and right resin slider whereas, in the other resin slider, smaller engaging portion is ahead of the larger engaging portion.

Abstract: A camera system includes a display monitor which displays an image of an object, taken by an optical unit, on a screen of the monitor. A reading unit reads a preceding image and a current image among a plurality of partially overlapping images, from a memory device, the preceding image and the current image containing a common element. A determining unit determines a positional relation between the preceding image and the current image based on a common pattern derived from the common element in the two adjacent images read by the reading unit. A displaying unit displays an image indicating a boundary of the preceding image on the screen of the monitor at a shifted position according to the positional relation determined by the determining unit, with the current image concurrently displayed on the screen of the monitor.

Abstract: Providing an oral formulation of a macrolide compound where the dissolution of the macrolide compound is under sustained release; and a sustained-release formulation containing a composition in solid solution, where the macrolide compound is present at an amorphous state in a solid base.

Abstract: In a door closer device which requires at least three switches consisting of a half door detection switch, a full lock (completely closing) detection switch and a switch for detecting the return to the initial position, the number of switches can be reduced. Two cam switch operating portions are formed on a cam plate fixedly secured to an output shaft of a motor. The motor is stopped by making use of one operating portion and the motor is rotated in a reverse direction by making use of the other operating portion.

Abstract: Providing an oral formulation of a macrolide compound where the dissolution of the macrolide compound is under sustained release; and a sustained-release formulation containing a composition in solid solution, where the macrolide compound is present at an amorphous state in a solid base.

Abstract: In a CAD system, an electronic system is arranged by receiving an aid of a computer, and also a designing work of an architecture of this electronic system is carried out under the aid of the computer. An estimation with a high usability can be realized in high precision in an upstream stage, namely an earlier designating stage. The acquired design information is stored as know-how, and this stored know-how can be succeeded to the design information in a downstream stage. In this CAD system, a block diagram is edited by a block diagram input/editing unit, and this block diagram contains symbols indicative of independent functions, and lines used to connect these symbols. These symbols and lines are represented as the same design information. Both design information and parameter information may be applied to the symbols and the lines in a similar manner. Furthermore, the respective design information owns such a structure having a plurality of detailed level information with an architecture idea of a layer.

Abstract: A seat sliding apparatus has left and right rail pairs each including an upper rail for supporting a seat and a lower rail for fixing to a vehicle body. In each of the left and right rail pairs, left and right resin sliders are attached to lateral edges of the upper or lower rails, to facilitate sliding motion of the upper rail along the lower rail. Each resin slider has a larger engaging portion and a smaller engaging portion. The left and right resin sliders are arranged in parallel to each other, but extended in opposite direction, so that the larger engaging portion is ahead of the smaller engaging portion in one of the left and right resin slider whereas, in the other resin slider, smaller engaging portion is ahead of the larger engaging portion.

Abstract: An automatic text inputting method and a system inputs text from multiple pages such as in a book by automatically turning pages, optically converting text image on each page into character data and determining an end of a specified unit of text. For example, the specified unit of text includes an article in a magazine and a chapter in a book. Additionally, in a selected group of text, a representative word is also automatically selected.

Abstract: A method and system for processing images. An input or scanned image is first processed into a plurality of rectangles. Using these rectangles, a rough classification process is performed to determine if the rectangles define character candidates, horizontal ruled line candidates, vertical line candidates, or form candidates. A processing of the form candidates is performed which allows the determination of whether the form has a regular shape such as a rectangular shape or an irregular shape which includes protrusions from a rectangular shape. The form candidates are analyzed in order to determine if they are irregular forms by constructing and analyzing one or more cores which define the form. After an irregular form is determined, a determination is made as to whether character candidates are inside of or outside of the form.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for cleaning heavy hydrocarbon scale from a shell and tube heat exchanger or other such equipment incorporated in a device in a petroleum refining plant or the like that processes petroleum hydrocarbons as a raw material. A mixture of petroleum-derived hydrocarbon A which can dissolve the oil component of the heavy hydrocarbon scale and an oxygen-containing polar organic compound B that promotes dissolution and dispersion is employed as the organic cleaning solvent. As a result, the heavy hydrocarbon scale can be removed with surety within a short period of time at low cost.

Abstract: Where a so-called tandem-copying function is selected, in which image data read by one image forming apparatus via a control panel (con-pane) unit is output and copied at high speed by two image forming apparatuses. A central control unit causes a scanner unit to read an original and stores read image data in an image memory unit. An external controller reads the image data stored in the image memory unit and feeds the data to the two image forming apparatuses as print data. Printing is effected by printer units in the respective image forming apparatuses. In this case, if a key counter is attached to one of the two image forming apparatuses or key counters are attached to the two image forming apparatuses, the central control unit and external controller perform an accounting process using the key counter.

Abstract: An original image comprises a printed region on which a predetermined printed matter is realized and a background region on which no printed matter is realized. The shape of a peripheral zone in the original image comprises the shape of the background region, which shape exists particularly at the peripheral region of said original image. It is determined whether or not the original image comprises the special document by detecting the peripheral zone. Further, the original image has an outer-frame region, having a predetermined shape at the peripheral region of the original image. The determination is carried out using a result of measuring the width of the outer-frame region. Further, the width of the outer-frame region comprises a width along a direction substantially perpendicular to a direction extending along the outline of the original image.

Abstract: A character recognition method and apparatus which assembles similar character patterns into groups. By performing character recognition for each character of the group and comparing the recognition results for the group, a single recognition result can be obtained for the entire group which is quite accurate. Alternatively, a representative pattern may be generated for the group and a single recognition processing performed on this pattern in order to reduce the amount of time necessary to perform the character recognition process. When the result of the character recognition does not strongly indicate a single recognition result, the probability of appearance of individual characters and/or groups of characters such as digrams or trigrams can be analyzed to obtain more accurate results.