Abstract: An apparatus for designing a plant, the apparatus including: processing circuitry configured to: receive from a user, an operation to arrange a first object having a start point and a second object having an end point in a virtual space; set a plurality of tentative routes connecting the start point and the end point along coordinate axes of the virtual space; detect whether or not there is interference with an obstacle for each of the set tentative routes; and select an optimum route with a lowest cost from tentative routes for which no interference has been detected.

Abstract: To provide a wire harness that restricts rotation of a wire in a holder, a wire harness includes a tubular member, a wire member extending through the tubular member, and a tubular holder holding the wire member in the tubular member. The holder includes a first segment and a second segment, which are separated by a separation plane extending in a longitudinal direction of the holder. The first segment includes a holding portion that holds the wire member in the holder. Also, the second segment includes a holding portion that holds the wire member in the holder.

Abstract: An apparatus for designing a plant. The apparatus includes processing circuitry configured to: receive a specification of a position of a rack in a virtual space; receiving a setting of a pipe to be arranged in a layer indicating one of tiers into which the rack is partitioned in a height direction; receive, from a user, an operation of arranging a first object and a second object in the virtual space, the first object being a piece of equipment having a start point, the second object being a piece of equipment having an end point; determine a passable layer based on a type of the pipe and set a piping path through which the pipe is to pass; and perform pipe routing to connect a plurality of the pieces of equipment with the pipe based on the piping path and positions of the start point and the end point.

Abstract: In recovery processing, a distributed storage system 100 locks a storage area in which user data for recovery that is user data serving as data for recovery is stored in drives 405, and releases the lock after caching the user data for recovery in a memory 401 of any of computer nodes 101. Then, the distributed storage system 100 recovers recovery target data on basis of the user data for recovery cached in the memory 401. In write processing, the distributed storage system 100 updates the user data for recovery cached in the memory 401 in accordance with a write request and then writes the user data in accordance with the write request.

Abstract: In recovery processing, a distributed storage system 100 locks a storage area in which user data for recovery that is user data serving as data for recovery is stored in drives 405, and releases the lock after caching the user data for recovery in a memory 401 of any of computer nodes 101. Then, the distributed storage system 100 recovers recovery target data on basis of the user data for recovery cached in the memory 401. In write processing, the distributed storage system 100 updates the user data for recovery cached in the memory 401 in accordance with a write request and then writes the user data in accordance with the write request.

Abstract: The signal processing circuit in the present invention includes a tracking polarity determination unit configured to determine the polarity when tracking control is performed on an optical disc, on which a wobble is formed, the tracking polarity determination unit including: a binarized wobble signal generation unit configured to generate a wobble signal according to the shape of the wobble, and to generate a binarized wobble signal; a characteristic quantity measurement unit configured to measure the characteristic quantity of the binarized wobble signal generated by the binarized wobble signal generation unit; a determination unit configured to determine whether or not the characteristic quantity of the binarized wobble signal measured by the characteristic quantity measurement unit indicates a predetermined characteristic; and a polarity determination unit configured to determine the polarity by the result of the determination by the determination unit.

Abstract: To provide a block copolymer composition excellent in balance of transparency, impact resistance, etc. in the form of not only an excluded product and a blow molded product but also an injection molded product.

Abstract: A block copolymer mixture containing a branched block copolymer characterized in that it has at least three types of polymer blocks with different molecular weights, each comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon as monomer units, the molecular weight distribution of a mixture of the polymer blocks S1, S2 and S3 each comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon as monomer units is within a specific range, and in a gel permeation chromatogram of the mixture of three types of the polymer blocks S1, S2 and S3, M1/M3 and M2/M3 are within specific ranges, where M1, M2 and M3 are peak top molecular weights of the respective polymer blocks.

Abstract: To provide a block copolymer composition having a good balance in transparency and impact resistance, and particularly having an excellent impact resistance, by making a molded product of injection molding under high sear condition in such a manner as to hardly generate anisotropy. A block copolymer composed of a hard segment block comprising a block made mainly of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a soft segment block comprising a block made mainly of a conjugated diene, characterized by having a remarkably improved impact resistance without degrading transparency in respect of not only an extrusion-molded product and a blow-molded product but also an injection-molded product, by blending two kinds of block copolymers having a hard segment block of a specific structure.

Abstract: In a signal processing device, a 3-beam TE signal generation circuit generates a tracking error signal by a 3-beam method (3-beam tracking error signal), and a DPD TE signal generation circuit generates a tracking error signal by a DPD method (DPD tracking error signal). A TE signal variation detection circuit detects a variation in 3-beam tracking error signal. A TE signal generation method switch circuit selects and outputs the 3-beam tracking error signal initially, and if the TE signal variation detection circuit detects a variation, selects and outputs the DPD tracking error signal.

Abstract: In a first reflected light amount comparing step and a first reflected light storing step, disc search is performed while moving a laser spot position from below to above an optical disc D, and a first reflected light amount which first becomes larger than or equal to a predetermined reflected light amount threshold is stored. Thereafter, in a second reflected light amount comparing step and a second reflected light storing step, disc search is performed while moving the laser spot position from above to below the optical disc D, and a second reflected light amount which first becomes larger than or equal to the predetermined reflected light amount threshold is stored. Thereafter, in a reflected light amount comparing step, the first and second reflected amounts are compared with each other. In a type determining step, it is determined whether or not the optical disc D is an SACD Hybrid, using the result of the comparison.

Abstract: To provide a block copolymer composition having a good balance in transparency and impact resistance, and particularly having an excellent impact resistance, by making a molded product of injection molding under high sear condition in such a manner as to hardly generate anisotropy. A block copolymer composed of a hard segment block comprising a block made mainly of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a soft segment block comprising a block made mainly of a conjugated diene, characterized by having a remarkably improved impact resistance without degrading transparency in respect of not only an extrusion-molded product and a blow-molded product but also an injection-molded product, by blending two kinds of block copolymers having a hard segment block of a specific structure.

Abstract: A heat shrinkable film and a heat shrinkable multilayer film excellent in balance of heat resistance, high shrinkability, high shrinkability particularly at a low temperature, resistance to spontaneous shrinkage, chemical resistance and rigidity, are provided. A heat shrinkable film and a heat shrinkable multilayer film obtained from a resin composition comprising an aromatic vinyl compound/conjugated diene block copolymer having a micro phase separation structure comprising a soft phase and a hard phase and further having a specific structure and a specific dynamic viscoelasticity spectrum and a styrene polymer having a syndyotactic structure, in a specific proportion.

Abstract: To provide a block copolymer mixture containing a branched block copolymer such that it is excellent in balance between transparency and impact resistance, and a molded product formed from it by injection molding particularly under a high shearing force is less likely to have anisotropy and is thereby excellent in impact resistance. A block copolymer mixture containing a branched block copolymer characterized in that it has at least three types of polymer blocks with different molecular weights, each comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon as monomer units, the molecular weight distribution of a mixture of the polymer blocks S1, S2 and S3 each comprising a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon as monomer units is within a specific range, and in a gel permeation chromatogram of the mixture of three types of the polymer blocks S1, S2 and S3, M1/M3 and M2/M3 are within specific ranges, where M1, M2 and M3 are peak top molecular weights of the respective polymer blocks.

Abstract: To provide a block copolymer composition excellent in balance of transparency, impact resistance, etc. in the form of not only an excluded product and a blow molded product but also an injection molded product.

Abstract: A field yoke (2) on which permanent magnets are mounted is fixed to a stationary member (1) of a machine. An armature (3) composed of coils is attached to a surface of a table (4), which is guided to move by a rectilinear movement guide (5), opposed to the field yoke (2). The field yoke (2) and the armature (3) constitute a linear motor. A compressed air feeding means (b) is mounted to the table (4). Compressed air jetting ports (6c) of the compressed air feeding means (6) are disposed ahead of and behind the table (4). While moving the table (4), compressed air is jetted to a movement surface, on which the table (4) moves, in order to remove foreign matter. Thus, as the movement surface on which the moving member (table (4)) of the linear motor moves is cleaned to remove the foreign matter, the movement of the table (4) is smooth. Moreover, the linear motor will not be damaged. This results in the linear motor capable of cleaning the movement surface on which the movable member of the linear motor moves.

Abstract: A medical material and a medical device comprising an aromatic vinyl compound/&agr;-olefin random copolymer according to the present invention, are materials which contain substantially no chlorine and which have not only excellent flexibility, transparency and proper resilience but also radiation resistance and biocompatibility, and they are hence advantageously used especially in the medical field.

Abstract: A resin composition characterized by comprising from 5 to 95 wt % of an aromatic vinyl compound/olefin random copolymer (A) which has an aromatic vinyl compound content of from 1 to 99 mol % and has a head-to-tail chain structure composed of two or more aromatic vinyl compound units, and from 95 to 5 wt % of an &agr;-olefin type polymer (B) and/or an aromatic vinyl compound type polymer (C) (provided that it is neither a medical material nor a medical device), which contains substantially no chlorine and is excellent in the impact resistance, moldability, weather resistance and chemical resistance and which is useful for an injection molded product, an extrusion molded product, a film, a sheet, etc. Further, it provides an excellent damping material.

Abstract: An ethylene-aromatic vinyl compound copolymer characterized by satisfying the following conditions: (1) the aromatic vinyl compound content is from 0.5 mol % to 10 mol %; (2) as measured with respect to a molded product having a thickness of 0.2 mm, the haze is at most 14%, or the total light transmittance is at least 90%; (3) an ethylene-aromatic vinyl compound copolymer characterized in that the relation of the aromatic vinyl compound content and the glass transition point (Tg) obtained by an inflection point method as observed at a temperature of at least −50° C. by a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC), satisfies the following formula (1): −20+1.00St>Tg>−30+1.

Abstract: A process for producing oxiracetam (4-hydroxy-2-oxo-1-pyrrolidineacetamide) useful as an agent for improving brain metabolism, under mild conditions and in a single process is provided, this process comprises reacting glycinamide with a butyric acid ester expressed by the formula ##STR1## wherein A represents a halogen atom or an epoxy group, B represents hydroxyl group, but when A is an epoxy group, A and B together form an epoxy group, and R represents an alkyl group.