Abstract: A sieving system includes a filter; a blade stirring a powder accumulated on the filter; a driver driving the blade; a notifier notifying predetermined information of a status of the filter, based on a load of the driver while driving the blade.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a scanning unit scans the inside of an object administered with a contrast agent with ultrasonic waves. A signal generation unit outputs a packet signal based on the reception signal output from the scanning unit. A first wall filter has a passband corresponding to a blood flow component. A second wall filter has a passband corresponding to a tissue perfusion component and blood flow component. A maximum value holding computation processing unit applies maximum value holding computation processing to a first image corresponding to an output from the first wall filter. A display unit displays the first image having undergone maximum value holding computation processing and a second image corresponding to an output from the second wall filter.

Abstract: The problem of the present invention is to prove a medicament for decreasing body weigh, a medicament for decreasing visceral fat, a medicament for decreasing triglyceride in the liver, and a method for screening a medicament for ameliorating obesity and fatty liver. The problem is solved by a method comprising measuring an activity of a candidate material for inhibiting a sphingomyelin synthetase wherein if the candidate material has an activity for inhibiting a sphingomyelin synthetase, the candidate material is judged to have at least one function selected from the consisting of an anti-obesity drug, a drug for decreasing visceral fat, a drug for treating fatty liver and an agent for increasing adiponectin expression.

Abstract: A stocker facility includes a rack configured to store glass plates in a standing state such that the glass plates are arranged in a front-rear direction and a stocker configured to cause the glass plate to move in a left-right direction to transfer the glass plate to and from the rack. Thus, the present invention provides a plate-shaped member transfer facility capable of carrying the plate-shaped member in between two spaced-apart plate-shaped members between which a storage pitch is short and carrying any one of a plurality of plate-shaped members out from the rack without inserting an end effect in a substrate storage portion of the rack.

Abstract: An imaging part scans a predetermined site of a subject to which a contrast agent has been administered, with ultrasound waves, and thereby acquires plural frames of ultrasound image data. A contrast agent inflow detector detects the inflow of the contrast agent into each region based on the signal intensity in each region represented in the plural frames of ultrasound image data. A reference time determining part determines, as a reference time, a time point when the contrast agent inflow detector detects the inflow of the contrast agent into a first region of interest. A color coding part obtains a relative time of the inflow of the contrast agent into each region with reference to the reference time, and generates image data representing the color of each region with a hue corresponding to the relative time. An image based on the image data representing the hue is displayed.

Abstract: An ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus has a probe, an ultrasonic wave control unit, a volume data generation unit, and a three-dimensional display processing unit. The ultrasonic wave control unit controls the probe to transmit low-sound-pressure pulses to a scan region at a first pulse repetition period as well as controls the probe to receive an echo corresponding to the low-sound-pressure pulses. Further, the ultrasonic wave control unit controls the probe to transmit high-sound-pressure pulses to the scan region at a second pulse repetition period smaller than the first pulse repetition period. The volume data generation unit generates volume data based on the echo received by the probe under the control of the ultrasonic wave control unit. The three-dimensional display processing unit generates three-dimensional image data by performing a rendering process based on the volume data, and controls display of the three-dimensional image data on a monitor.

Abstract: An ultrasound diagnosis apparatus for generation of image data based on harmonic wave components of ultrasound reception signals. The ultrasound diagnosis apparatus includes a transmission/reception control unit configured to set a plurality of ultrasound transmission/reception directions to an object, an ultrasound probe, a transmission/reception unit, a harmonic wave component extracting unit configured to extract harmonic wave components in the reception signals, a reception signals processing unit, a subtraction unit configured to perform a subtraction between different ultrasound data sets, and an image data generating unit configured to generate the image data based on the subtracted ultrasound data acquired along each of the transmission/reception directions.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a detector detects a position at a leading end of a puncture needle. A determination unit determines a first scanning region in a subject and a second scanning region based on the position at the detected leading end, the second scanning region being narrower than the first scanning region. A transmission/reception controller controls a transmitter and a receiver to switches between first ultrasonic scanning for the first scanning region and second ultrasonic scanning for the second scanning region according to an instruction from an operator.

Abstract: An ultrasound apparatus according to the present embodiments includes a receiving unit and a probe controlling unit. The receiving unit receives settings in relation to the aperture of the ultrasound probe and the region of interest of the subject with a contrast agent injected. The probe controlling unit controls the ultrasound probe based on the settings received by the receiving unit in such a manner as to transmit an ultrasound wave from the vibrator arranged in the aperture to the region of interest.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for screening for a medicinal agent that can decrease a body weight, a medicinal agent that can reduce a visceral fat, a medicinal agent that can reduce a triglyceride in the liver, and a medicinal agent that can ameliorate obesity and fatty liver. The method involves a step of measuring the inhibitory activity of a candidate substance on a sphingomyelin synthase, wherein the candidate substance is determined to have at least one function selected from the group consisting of an anti-obesity agent, a visceral fat-reducing agent, a fatty liver-treating agent and an adiponectin expression enhancer when the candidate substance has an inhibitory activity on the sphingomyelin synthase.

Abstract: A robot system according to an embodiment includes a robot a switching determination unit and a rearrangement instruction unit The switching determination unit performs determination of switching between the operation of transferring the workpiece and the operation of rearranging the workpiece based on the state of transferring the workpiece by the robot The rearrangement instruction unit instructs the robot to rearrange the workpiece.

Abstract: A water electrolysis system includes a water electrolysis apparatus for electrically decomposing water to generate oxygen and high-pressure hydrogen having a pressure higher than the oxygen, a gas-liquid separator connected to a hydrogen pipe which discharges the high-pressure hydrogen from the water electrolysis apparatus, for separating water contained in the high-pressure hydrogen, a high-pressure hydrogen outlet pipe for delivering the high-pressure hydrogen separated from water from the gas-liquid separator, a water drainage line for discharging the water from the gas-liquid separator, and a gas depressurizing line connected to the gas-liquid separator, for degassing the gas-liquid separator before the water is discharged from the water drainage line into the water drainage line.

Abstract: A display control device uses frame rate control, and converts m-bit input data (m is an integer) representing brightness of each pixel, to n-bit output data (n is an integer, n<m), to control brightness of each pixel. A first frame rate controller generates a plurality of first tone data according to the input data, and outputs the generated data in a time division manner for each predetermined first timing. A second frame rate controller generates a plurality of second tone data according to the input data, and outputs the generated data in a time division manner for each predetermined first timing. Rate of change of brightness represented by the first tone data with respect to the input data, and rate of change of brightness represented by the second tone data with respect to the input data are made different.

Abstract: According to an embodiment, an image generating unit generates a medical image. A deciding unit detects a reaching time at which a contrast agent has reached a predetermined region of the medical image. The deciding unit sets a color map in which the reaching time is associated with a hue based on a first inflow time corresponding to a first designation region set to the medical image and a second inflow time corresponding to a second designation region. A generating unit generates a hue conversion image in which a hue is allocated to each region of the medical image based on the color map and the reaching time in each region of the medical image. A control unit displays the hue conversion image through a monitor.

Abstract: A barrel-type multistage pump with uniformed velocity distribution in an axial direction, on a cross-section of a rotating flow channel, to suppress fluid loss in a last stage, and including: plural stages of centrifugal impellers, covered by an inner casing; diffusers and return channels provided on downstream sides of said centrifugal impellers, to guide the flow of a fluid to a centrifugal impeller in the next stage, and return vanes arranged at respective return channels; a cylindrical outer casing having a suction pipe and a discharge pipe, wherein a cylindrical rotating flow channel connected to a discharge opening is provided between an outer casing and an inner casing, a connecting channel to connect between a rotating flow channel and diffusers.

Abstract: An adhesive composition for polarizing plates in which an acrylic polymer, a tin compound having a dialkyl group and serving as a cross-linking accelerator and an isocyanate cross-linker are dissolved in an organic solvent, the acrylic polymer being formed by copolymerization of monomers containing an alkyl (meth)acrylate, a hydroxyl group containing monomer and/or a carboxyl group containing monomer, wherein preferably, a solution containing 30% by weight of the acrylic polymer which constitutes the adhesive composition, dissolved in 70% by weight of ethyl acetate has a viscosity in the range of 0.5 to 10.0 Pa·s measured at 23° C., and the acrylic polymer has a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 300,000 to 700,000.

Abstract: A thermoplastic film is transversely stretched, and then transported in a heat-treating zone (46) such that the ratio (G/D) of an inter-roll distance (G) to a roll lap length (D) is 0.01 to 3, and the ratio (V2/V1) of an exit-side transporting speed (V2) to an entry-side transporting speed (V1) is 0.6 to 0.999. The thermoplastic film is heat-treated in the heat-treating zone (46) at (Tg?20)° C. to (Tg+50)° C., in which Tg is the glass transition temperature of the film. The heat-treated thermoplastic film exhibits an Rth/Re ratio of at least 0.5 and less than 1, an Rth/Re ratio range of 0.01 to 0.1 in the width direction, and a thermal dimensional change of 0.001% to 0.3% under conditions of 80° C. and 200 hours.

Abstract: A target position detection apparatus for a robot includes: a robot including an arm configured to be freely moved in at least two directions of X and Y axes, the arm having a wrist axis provided at a distal end of the arm and configured to be freely moved in a horizontal direction, and the wrist axis being provided with an end effector; and a control unit adapted for driving a memory to store a teaching point therein and controlling an operation of the robot such that the end effector will be moved toward the teaching point stored in the memory.

Abstract: The invention is intended to provide a pharmaceutical composition for treating or preventing obesity or type II diabetes and a method for treatment for them. A pharmaceutical composition comprising an Acsl-1 inhibitor of this invention as an active ingredient is useful for prevention or treatment of obesity or type II diabetes.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, an ultrasonic diagnostic apparatus which comprises an ultrasonic transmission/reception unit configured to transmit ultrasonic waves to a scan area including a predetermined region throughout an analysis period, receive reflected waves from the scan area, and acquire ultrasonic data associated with the scan area for each phase in the analysis period, an analysis unit configured to generate a luminance time curve associated with at least one analysis area included in the scan area by using the ultrasonic data in each phase in the analysis period and analyze a stagnant time of the contrast medium associated with at least one analysis area based on the generated luminance time curve, an image generation unit configured to generate a stagnant time image for each phase in the analysis period, with different hues being assigned to at least one analysis area in accordance with the stagnant times.