Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a novel foodstuff useful as an alternative for edible fats and/or oils, an alternative for edible fats and/or oils using the foodstuff, and food products prepared by using these alternatives for fats and/or oils; a novel material usable as a water absorbent material and/or a water retention material; a water absorbent material and a water retention material produced by using such a material; and a water absorbent product and a water retention product produced by using the material. A composition containing a hydrogel component derived from gum-arabic, comprising at least 10 wt % of hydrogel component preferably obtained by heating gum arabic, is used as the alternative for edible oil, alternative for edible fats, water absorbent material, or water retention material.

Abstract: A vehicle behavior analysis system performs an analysis of vehicle operation by displaying behavior data in an organized and analyzed form. A vehicle behavior data collecting unit records information on the vehicle's driving as behavior data and an analysis unit analyzes a recorded content of the vehicle behavior data collecting unit. A recorded data unit obtaining part obtains the recorded data units recorded in a memory of the vehicle behavior data collecting unit and a displaying part displays the content concerning at least a predetermined item among the contents shown by obtained each recorded data unit in a form of a table sectioned for each recorded data units and arranged at a side of the analysis unit, and a risk degree calculated based on the content shown by each recorded data units is contained in the predetermined item displayed by the displaying part.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for efficiently improving emulsifying ability of gum arabic, in other words, a method for producing gum arabic with excellent emulsifying ability. Further, the present invention provides a method by which a gum arabic modified so as to have a high emulsifying ability can be obtained without involving the problem of forming syrupy masses or sticking to the vessel or the trouble of excessive dehydration or charring. The above-described methods can be carried out by heating gum arabic (unmodified) under dry conditions. Preferably, the method is carried out by heating gum arabic in such a manner that the loss-on-drying is not more than 3%.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide modified gum arabic having an increased total dietary fiber content and use thereof. The modified gum arabic of the present invention, which is obtained by heating gum arabic, has a total dietary fiber content (determined by AOAC method) of not less than 90%, and preferably has a weight-average molecular weight of not less than 1,000,000. This modified gum Arabic is usable as a dietary fiber material or an additive for enriching dietary fiber to be used in foods, drinks and medicines. Therefore, the present invention provides foods, drinks or medicines containing the above-described modified gum Arabic as dietary fiber material or an additive for enriching dietary fiber.

Abstract: The present invention provides a water-soluble modified gum arabic with a weight average molecular weight not less than 0.9 million and arabinogalactan protein not less than 17% by weight obtained by heating Acacia Senegal gum arabic and modified water-soluble gum arabic with a weight average molecular weight not less than 2.5 million and with protein containing high molecular weight components of not less than 25% by weight. Moreover, the present invention provides modified gum arabic with standardized and predictable molecular properties and methods for providing the modified gum arabic endowed with high emulsification efficiency and stability and for uniforming natural variations in unmodified gum arabic. The present invention changes the natural protein distribution of gum arabic, and increases AGP content.

Abstract: In an optical disk having information recording tracks in the form of land and groove tracks, the disk is divided into a plurality of annular zones, each revolution of the information recording track belongs to one of the zones, and each revolution of the information recording track is divided into a plurality of sectors. A header portion is provided at the head of each sector and includes multiple recognition patterns which are each formed of a sequence of pits. A recognition pattern has a pattern which is not used as a pattern for data or addresses in the information recording part. The disk may be of a land/groove single-spiral configuration. The header portion for each sector may have a plurality of sub-headers, including an address of the sector, and first and second recognition patterns. The address of the sector and the first recognition pattern may be shifted in one radial direction by half a track pitch and the second recognition pattern shifted in the other radial direction by half a track pitch.

Abstract: In an optical disk having information recording tracks in the form of land and groove tracks, the disk is divided into a plurality of annular zones, each revolution of the information recording track belongs to one of the zones, and each revolution of the information recording track is divided into a plurality of sectors. A header portion is provided at the head of each sector and includes multiple recognition patterns which are each formed of a sequence of pits. A recognition pattern has a pattern which is not used as a pattern for data or addresses in the information recording part. The disk may be of a land/groove single-spiral configuration. The header portion for each sector may have a plurality of sub-headers, including an address of the sector, and first and second recognition patterns. The address of the sector and the first recognition pattern may be shifted in one radial direction by half a track pitch and the second recognition pattern shifted in the other radial direction by half a track pitch.

Abstract: In an optical disk having information recording tracks in the form of land and groove tracks, the disk is divided into a plurality of annular zones, each revolution of the information recording track belongs to one of the zones, and each revolution of the information recording track is divided into a plurality of sectors. A header portion is provided at the head of each sector and includes multiple recognition patterns which are each formed of a sequence of pits. A recognition pattern has a pattern which is not used as a pattern for data or addresses in the information recording part. The disk may be of a land/groove single-spiral configuration. The header portion for each sector may have a plurality of sub-headers, including an address of the sector, and first and second recognition patterns. The address of the sector and the first recognition pattern may be shifted in one radial direction by half a track pitch and the second recognition pattern shifted in the other radial direction by half a track pitch.

Abstract: In optical disk having information recording tracks in the form of land and groove tracks, the disk being divided into a plurality of annular zones, each revolution of the information recording track belonging to one of the zones, each revolution of the information recording track being divided into a plurality of sectors, the disk having a header portion at the head of each sector, the header portion including a recognition pattern which is formed of a sequence of pits having a pattern which is not used as a pattern for data or address in the information recording part. The disk may be of a land/groove single-spiral configuration. The header portion for each sector may have a plurality of sub-headers, including address of the sector, and first and second recognition patterns.

Abstract: In optical disk having information recording tracks in the form of land and groove tracks, the disk being divided into a plurality of annular zones, each revolution of the information recording track belonging to one of the zones, each revolution of the information recording track being divided into a plurality of sectors, the disk having a header portion at the head of each sector, the header portion including a recognition pattern which is formed of a sequence of pits having a pattern which is not used as a pattern for data or address in the information recording part. The disk may be of a land/groove single-spiral configuration. The header portion for each sector may have a plurality of sub-headers, including address of the sector, and first and second recognition patterns.

Abstract: In an optical disk of a single-spiral configuration, and including a first sequence of address pits and a second sequence of address pits, wherein headers include first and second sequences of address pits provided in different positions along the track. The first sequence of address pits are shifted by half a track pitch in a first radial direction so that its center line is aligned with a first boundary between a land track and a groove track following the header. The second sequence of address pits are shifted in a second radial direction opposite to the first radial direction by half a track pitch so that its center line is aligned with a second boundary (next to the first boundary) between a land track and a groove track following the header. The first sequence of address pits indicate an address of a sector in a first one of a land track and a groove track following the header.

Abstract: In an optical disk having information recording tracks in the form of land and groove tracks, the disk is divided into a plurality of annular zones, each revolution of the information recording track belongs to one of the zones, and each revolution of the information recording track is divided into a plurality of sectors. A header portion is provided at the head of each sector which includes a recognition pattern formed of a sequence of pits. The recognition pattern has a pattern which is not used as a pattern for data or addresses in the information recording part. The disk may be of a land/groove single-spiral configuration. The header portion for each sector may have a plurality of sub-headers, including an address of the sector, and first and second recognition patterns. The address of the sector and the first recognition pattern may be shifted in one radial direction by half a track pitch and the second recognition pattern shifted in the other radial direction by half a track pitch.

Abstract: In an optical disk device using an optical disk of a single land/groove spiral configuration, headers dividing each track revolution into sectors have one or more mirror surface parts, and the disposition and/or length of the mirror surface parts is different between sectors at a connecting point and sectors which are not at a connecting point. The device includes a circuit for detecting a connecting point based on the position and/or length of the mirror surface part. The device is further provided with a circuit for predicting the connecting point, thereby making up for any failure of detection by the detecting circuit. Such a predicting circuit may have a circuit for predicting the connecting point based on the phase of the disk motor when a connecting point is previously detected, or alternatively a circuit for predicting the connecting point by counting the number of PLL clocks, from a sector preceding the sector which is at a connecting point.

Abstract: In an optical disk having information recording tracks of lands and grooves, the grooves are wobbled in a radial direction of the disk so as to represent rotation information and sector management information, at least one pair of a wobbling part and an unwobbling part arranged one after another are provided every revolution, such that the wobbling parts in the grooves next to each other do not overlap in the radial direction of the disk. Since the wobble parts in the grooves next to each other do not overlap in the radial direction, the wobble data can be obtained regardless of whether a beam spot is tracing a land track or a groove track, and even in a data part of each sector.

Abstract: In an optical disk of a single-spiral configuration, and including a first sequence of address pits and a second sequence of address pits, wherein headers include first and second sequences of address pits provided in different positions along the track. The first sequence of address pits are shifted by half a track pitch in a first radial direction so that its center line is aligned with a first boundary between a land track and a groove track following the header. The second sequence of address pits are shifted in a second radial direction opposite to the first radial direction by half a track pitch so that its center line is aligned with a second boundary (next to the first boundary) between a land track and a groove track following the header. The first sequence of address pits indicate an address of a sector in a first one of a land track and a groove track following the header.

Abstract: A key plate examination apparatus and examination method whereby the form of an examined key plate can be recognized accurately and form information of a reference key plate can be compared with the recognized key plate form to determine their conformity rapidly. The form of the examined key plate is recognized by form recognition means, and form information is generated by form information generation means in response to the recognized form of the examined key plate. On the other hand, form information of the key number corresponding to a key number input externally is retrieved by key number retrieval means from a key information memory means storing the key number proper to the reference key plate and its corresponding form information. The form information generated by the form information generation means is compared with the form information retrieved by the key number retrieval means to determine their conformity by determination means.

Abstract: A multi-stage switching network in a telecommunication switching system includes a virtual link frame having fixedly closed virtual switches which are inserted according to the switching system size required by the application range of telephone traffic into a specified intermediate stage of the multi-stage switching network to permit the switching network of large or upper size to be degenerated to a switching network with smaller numbers of stages by degeneratively inducing a partial path structure from the path structure of the upper sized switching network having a great traffic capacity. The switching network with smaller numbers of stages can be incremented to a switching network of larger or upper size according to the switching system size. In either case, the multi-stage switching network can be controlled by the same control circuit and the same control program.