Abstract: The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein a timing based servo pattern is present on the magnetic layer, the centerline average surface roughness Ra that is measured on the surface of the magnetic layer is less than or equal to 1.8 nm, and the coefficient of friction that is measured on the base portion of the surface of the magnetic layer is less than or equal to 0.35.

Abstract: In an alcohol concentration estimation apparatus for an engine, a first crank angular speed (?1) within a first predetermined interval overlapping with the compression top dead center is calculated, and a first variation amount (??1) is calculated by subtracting ?1 from an average engine speed. A second crank angular speed (?2) within a second predetermined interval overlapping with the combustion bottom dead center is calculated, and a second variation amount (??2) is calculated by subtracting ?1 from ?2. In a relationship between air fuel ratio A/F and an indicated mean effective pressure (IMEP)/charging efficiency (?c) of the engine when the engine is operated with a predetermined fuel injection map indicating a relationship between A/F and IMEP/?c for each desired alcohol concentration, IMEP/?c is substituted by ??2/??1 ratio to estimate an alcohol concentration in fuel. The alcohol concentration estimation apparatus eliminates requirement of sensors for detecting an intake air mass.

Abstract: The magnetic tape has a timing base servo pattern on the magnetic layer, wherein the centerline average surface roughness Ra on the surface of the magnetic layer is less than or equal to 1.8 nm, the magnetic layer contains a fatty acid ester, the full width at half maximum of spacing distribution measured by optical interferometry on the surface of the magnetic layer before and after vacuum heating the magnetic tape is greater than 0 nm but less than or equal to 7.0 nm, the difference of spacing measured by optical interferometry on the surface of the magnetic layer after and before vacuum heating the magnetic tape is greater than 0 nm but less than or equal to 8.0 nm.

Abstract: The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein a timing based servo pattern is present on the magnetic layer, the centerline average surface roughness Ra that is measured on the surface of the magnetic layer is less than or equal to 1.8 nm, and the coefficient of friction that is measured on the base portion of the surface of the magnetic layer is less than or equal to 0.35.

Abstract: The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein the coercive force measured in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape is less than or equal to 167 kA/m, a timing-based servo pattern is present on the magnetic layer, and the edge shape specified by observing the timing-based servo pattern with a magnetic force microscope is a shape in which the difference between the value L99.9 of the 99.9% cumulative distribution function of the width of misalignment from the ideal shape in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape and the value L0.1 of the 0.1% cumulative distribution function, L99.9?L0.1, is less than or equal to 180 nm.

Abstract: The magnetic tape has a magnetic layer containing ferromagnetic powder and binder on a nonmagnetic support, wherein the coercive force measured in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape is less than or equal to 167 kA/m, a timing-based servo pattern is present on the magnetic layer, and the edge shape specified by observing the timing-based servo pattern with a magnetic force microscope is a shape in which the difference between the value of the 99.9% cumulative distribution function of the width of misalignment from the ideal shape in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic tape and the value L0.1 of the 0.1% cumulative distribution function, L99.9-L0.1, is less than or equal to 180 nm.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus that can easily perform electric fine zoom adjustment, includes an image pickup section that can change an image pickup parameter, a display section that visibly displays an image signal outputted from the image pickup section, a rotational operation member that performs a change operation to the image pickup parameter, a parameter control section that controls the image pickup parameter, and a display control section that displays an effect of the change of the image pickup parameter in accordance with the rotational operation of the rotational operation member on the display section, while superimposing the effect on the image signal outputted from the image pickup section.

Abstract: A ball screw device is provided for which quality can be easily evaluated. The ball screw device includes a threaded shaft with a groove formed on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and a cylindrical nut whose screw-thread mates with the groove on the threaded shaft via a plurality of balls. The nut has a pair of mounting holes in each of which a deflector is installed and a communication groove that allows the mounting holes to communicate with each other and is open on the outer peripheral surface of the nut and through which the balls can roll. The width W of an opening of the communication groove is smaller than the diameter of the ball.

Abstract: In an electric power steering system, there is provided a ball screw deflector configured to make it possible to easily measure the whole length of each of deflector pieces. A mating face of each of the deflector pieces and end faces of the deflector pieces are parallel to each other, and have an angle corresponding to a lead angle of a ball screw portion. Thus, it is possible to reduce the amount of material required to form each of the deflector piece pieces. In addition, it is possible to easily measure the overall length of each of the deflector pieces with the use of measuring equipment such as a vernier caliper.

Abstract: Disclosed is a sample analyzer for analyzing a sample, including: a preparing unit that mixes a sample, a surfactant-containing diluent, and a nucleic acid staining reagent to prepare a measurement specimen in which nucleic acids of nucleated cells are stained and red blood cells are hemolyzed; a detecting unit that irradiates particles included in the measurement specimen with light to receive scattered light and fluorescence light emitted from the particles and output a detection signal; and a processing unit that counts white blood cells and fungi in the sample based on the detection signal.

Abstract: To prevent a reduction in engine load detection accuracy due to variations in reluctor size within mass production tolerances, an engine control unit includes a pulse generator PC that detects a reluctor to output crank pulses. An angular velocity calculating unit calculates a first crank angular velocity on the basis of an interval between two crank pulses output in a predetermined section near compression top dead center TDC, and detects near overlap top dead center OLP the same reluctor used for calculating the first crank angular velocity to calculate a second crank angular velocity on the basis of an interval between generated two crank pulses. An engine load estimating unit calculates, as an engine load, a difference between the first crank angular velocity and the second crank angular velocity. The engine load is indicated mean effective pressure over a whole cycle including negative work done by the engine.

Abstract: A sample processing apparatus is disclosed. The apparatus comprises a sample processing section configured to perform a process on a sample; and a controller configured to execute an order defining a process to be performed on a sample and to cause the sample processing section to perform the process on the sample according to the order. When the controller receives an instruction to perform a shutdown operation, the controller performs the following operations comprising: prohibiting the execution of the shutdown operation if an unexecuted order remains; and causing the sample processing section to perform the shutdown operation if there is no unexecuted order.

Abstract: A ball screw device is provided for which quality can be easily evaluated. The ball screw device includes a threaded shaft with a groove formed on an outer peripheral surface of the shaft, and a cylindrical nut whose screw-thread mates with the groove on the threaded shaft via a plurality of balls. The nut has a pair of mounting holes in each of which a deflector is installed and a communication groove that allows the mounting holes to communicate with each other and is open on the outer peripheral surface of the nut and through which the balls can roll. The width W of an opening of the communication groove is smaller than the diameter of the ball.

Abstract: A diagnosis apparatus of a fuel supply system includes an operation state detector, an air-fuel ratio sensor, a fuel injection amount calculator, a threshold value table, an abnormality information acquiring device, and an abnormality determining device. In the threshold value table, operation ranges of an internal combustion engine are provided based on an engine speed and a throttle opening. In the threshold value table, a lean side threshold value and a rich side threshold value of an air-fuel ratio correction factor to determine abnormality of the fuel supply system are set beforehand for each of the operation ranges. The abnormality information acquiring device is configured to determine whether the air-fuel ratio correction factor has exceeded the lean side threshold value or the rich side threshold value extracted from the threshold value table according to an operation state so as to acquire abnormality information.

Abstract: An imaging device includes: an imaging unit configured to image an object and generate image data of the object; a contour detector configured to detect a contour of the object in an image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging unit; a special effect processor configured to generate processed image data that produces a visual effect by performing different image processing for each object area determined by a plurality of contour points that constitutes a contour of the object in accordance with a perspective distribution of the plurality of the contour points that constitutes the contour of the object from the imaging unit, the image processing being performed on an area surrounded by the contour in the image corresponding to the image data generated by the imaging unit.

Abstract: A solar cell module wherein fluctuations of output characteristics are unlikely to occur is provided. This solar cell module includes a solar cell, a first protective member provided on an outer side of the solar cell when viewed from the moving body, a second protective member provided on an inner side of the solar cell when viewed from the moving body, and a metal layer provided inward of the solar cell when viewed from the moving body. The metal layer is insulated from the solar cell and is electrically connected to ground potential.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a recording head, a cap member, and release valves. The head has a nozzle face with nozzles to eject liquid droplets. The head is placed in the apparatus body so as to eject the droplets obliquely downward in any of the vertical or horizontal arrangement of the apparatus body. The cap member caps the nozzle face and has openings at opposed ends in a longitudinal direction of the cap member to communicate an inside of the cap member with an outside of the cap member. The valves open and close the openings relative to an atmosphere. One of the valves placed higher than another one of the valves in accordance with the vertical or horizontal arrangement is configured to open the inside of the cap member to the atmosphere through one of the openings placed higher than another one of the openings.

Abstract: An electric power steering apparatus transmits rotational force of a motor to a rack shaft via a driver pulley, a belt, a driven pulley, and a ball nut. A ball bearing and the driven pulley are fitted to the outer circumferential surface of the ball nut. Also, the ball nut is rotationally supported to the inner circumferential surface of a housing via the ball bearing. A female thread portion is formed on the inner circumferential surface of the driven pulley. The ball nut has a male thread portion formed in a first end and a flange formed in a second end. By fastening the male thread portion and the female thread portion to each other, the ball bearing is clamped between the flange and the driven pulley, while the ball nut and the driven pulley are fastened to each other.

Abstract: An image pickup apparatus that can easily perform electric fine zoom adjustment, includes an image pickup section that can change an image pickup parameter, a display section that visibly displays an image signal outputted from the image pickup section, a rotational operation member that performs a change operation to the image pickup parameter, a parameter control section that controls the image pickup parameter, and a display control section that displays an effect of the change of the image pickup parameter in accordance with the rotational operation of the rotational operation member on the display section, while superimposing the effect on the image signal outputted from the image pickup section.

Abstract: A solar cell module for in-vehicle use includes a first terminal, a second terminal, solar cell units, and a diode. Solar cell units are electrically connected in parallel between the first terminal and the second terminal and each includes solar cells electrically connected in series. A diode is electrically connected between the first terminal and the second terminal in parallel with the solar cell units, and configured to allow a current to substantially flow therethrough when a reverse bias voltage of the solar cell units exceeds a predetermined voltage value.