Abstract: A disk drive apparatus for recording (writing) and/or reproducing (reading) information on an optical disk by rotating the optical disk, and adjusting the tilt angle of an optical pickup device with respect to the optical disk. A spindle chassis rotationally supports a turntable on which the optical disk is placed. A pickup chassis, rotationally supported on said spindle chassis, movably supports an optical pickup device that writes and/or reads the information to/from the optical disk and is movable toward and away from the turntable. A tilt mechanism adjusts the tilt angle of the optical pickup device with respect to the optical disk by rotating the pickup chassis with respect to the spindle chassis.

Abstract: An automatic gain adjustment device and method capable of accurately adjusting a gain with a simple structure. In an automatic gain adjustment method of a feedback control system that uses a phase difference between an output signal obtained from a controlled object and an input signal while controlling the object based on the input signal, a phase shift amount is set to cause a frequency of the input signal to coincide with the crossover frequency at which the open loop gain forming the feedback control system becomes 0 dB, and a phase of the input signal is shifted based on the phase shift amount.

Abstract: By using a composition for preventing onset and/or recurrence of stroke which contains ethyl icosapentate as its effective component, onset and/or recurrence of stroke is prevented, or in particular, the onset and/or recurrence of stroke in a hyperlipidemia patient who has been treated with HMG-CoA RI, or in particular the recurrence of stroke in a patient who is beyond six months after the onset of stroke, is prevented.

Abstract: To provide an X-ray microscopic inspection apparatus capable of performing non-destructive inspection with high resolving power within a very short period, and having advantageous functions such as a high precision electron probe control function, a CT function, an elemental analysis function, and a target switching function. The apparatus includes a magnetic superposition lens having a magnetic field generating portion disposed in the vicinity of an electron generating portion of an electron gun; reflected electron detecting means having a detecting portion disposed above the target for X-ray generation, for detecting a reflected electron from the target; and electron image generating means for performing imaging of a target surface utilizing the signals from the reflected electron detecting means, wherein the apparatus is arranged so that alignment including focus adjustment to the target for X-ray generation and astigmatism correction may be performed based on image information of the electron image.

Abstract: To provide an X-ray microscopic inspection apparatus capable of performing non-destructive inspection with high resolving power equal to or less than 0.1 ?m in a very short period, and largely contributing to the nano-technology field. In the X-ray microscopic inspection apparatus having X-ray generating means for generating an X-ray by allowing an electron beam from an electron source to impinge on a target for X-ray generation, for inspecting an object to be inspected by utilizing the X-ray, a magnetic field superposition lens having a magnetic field generating portion disposed in the vicinity of an electron generating portion of an electron gun is included as a component element of the X-ray generating means. Further, the apparatus includes a liquid metal electron source using liquid metal or a thermal field emission electron source as the electron source, as a component element of the X-ray generating means.

Abstract: The device of the invention comprises an advertisement image storage unit 32 for storing a plurality of advertisement images (add-on images) and the discount rate predefined for each of the advertisement images, a display control unit 22 for generating a list image listing the discount rate for each advertisement image and causing the display unit 12 to display the list image, an operation unit 13 for receiving a selection directive for the advertisement image from the user based on the list image, and a printing control unit 25 for composing the selected advertisement image into the document image and causing the printing unit 15 to print the composed image.

Abstract: The present invention comprises a combined image generating unit 24 which reduces each document images and generates a combined image, so that multiple document images captured by a document image capturing unit 11 fit on a single sheet of printing paper in accord with the type of combined printing selected by a user via an operation unit 13; a printing control unit 25 which extracts marginal regions demarcating document images from the combined image, combines the combined image and advertisement image so that the advertisement image is displayed lengthwise to the marginal region, and generates an output image; and a printing unit 15 which prints the output image on printing paper.

Abstract: An image forming device comprises a document image capturing unit 11 for reading a document and capturing a document image; an advertisement image memory unit 32 for storing advertisement images to be printed in addition to the document image; a first color setting unit 22 for a user to set a color specified by the user as the color for the main image; a second color setting unit 24 for coloring an advertisement image with a color different from the first color setting unit 22; a composing unit 27 for composing an advertisement image in the marginal regions of a document image; and a printing unit 15 for printing the image composed by the composing unit 27 on recording paper.

Abstract: Provided are composition and/or methods useful in preventing onset and/or recurrence of cardiovascular events, especially in patients who have escaped the unstable period after cardiovascular angioplasty or in hyperlipidemia patients who have been treated with HMG-CoA RI.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of hashing an address space to a plurality of storage servers begins with a first step of dividing the address space by a number of the storage servers to form data segments. Each data segment comprises a base address. A second step assigns the data segments to the storage servers according to a sequence. The method continues with a third step of measuring a load on each of the storage servers. According to an embodiment, the method concludes with a fourth step of adjusting data shares assigned to the storage servers according to the sequence to approximately balances the loads on the storage servers while maintaining the base address for each data segment on an originally assigned storage server. According to another embodiment, the method periodically performs the third and fourth steps to maintain an approximately balanced load on the storage servers.

Abstract: A copying machine disclosed in the present invention comprises: a discharge tray for receiving a discharged sheet; a platen cover that is manually opened and closed; an opened/closed state detecting sensor for detecting whether the platen cover is in an opened or closed state; a discharged sheet detection sensor for detecting whether a discharged sheet is present or absent on the discharge tray; and an LED for notifying a user after completion of a copying operation that an original is left behind upon detection of the discharged sheet being removed from the discharge tray while the platen cover is not opened.

Abstract: An embodiment of a method of cooperative caching for a distributed storage system begins with a step of requesting data from storage devices which hold the data. The method continues with a step of receiving any cached blocks and expected response times for providing non-cached blocks from the storage devices. The method concludes with a step of requesting a sufficient number of the non-cached blocks from one or more particular storage devices which provides an expectation of optimal performance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to primary cultured adipocytes for gene therapy, where the adipocytes stably maintain a foreign gene encoding a protein that is secreted outside of cells. This invention provides cells suitable for gene therapy, which can replace bone marrow cells and liver cells used for conventional ex vivo gene therapy. The present invention established methods for transferring foreign genes into primary cultured adipocytes, which are suitable for ex vivo gene therapy; can be easily collected and implanted; and can be removed after implantation. Specifically, the present invention established these methods that use retroviral vectors. The present invention also established primary cultured adipocytes for gene therapy, where the adipocytes stably maintain a foreign gene encoding a protein that is secreted outside of cells.

Abstract: A laminated coil component includes an inner ceramic green sheet having a plurality of conductive coil patterns, a conductive lead pattern, and interlayer-connecting via holes; inner ceramic green sheets having interlayer-connecting via holes; an inner ceramic green sheet having a plurality of conductive coil patterns and a conductive lead pattern, and outer ceramic green sheets. The outer layers include three or more outer ceramic green sheets having a thickness that is less than that of the inner ceramic green sheets.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a method of reconfiguring a redundant data storage system is provided. A plurality of data segments are redundantly stored by a first group of storage devices, at least a quorum of storage devices of the first group each storing at least a portion of each data segment or redundant data. A second group of storage devices is formed, the second group having different membership from the first group. A data segment is identified among the plurality for which a consistent version is not stored by at least a quorum of the second group. At least a portion of the identified data segment or redundant data is written to at least one of the storage devices of the second group thereby at least a quorum of the second group stores a consistent version of the identified data segment.

Abstract: A switch operable under a predetermined condition includes a plurality of switch parts each including a pair of reed pieces and a connecting member of an electrically conductive non-magnetic material via which the plurality of switch parts are serially connected. The switch operates only under a condition where all of the plurality of switch parts are operated by external magnetic fields individually and simultaneously acting on the plurality of switch parts.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus that performs image processing on a first image and a second image includes a dividing unit dividing the first image into a plurality of blocks; a first motion-vector calculator calculating first motion vectors representing movements from the blocks of the first image to corresponding regions of the second image; a second motion-vector calculator calculating second motion vectors representing movements of the blocks that occur when the blocks are transformed based on a first positional-relationship parameter representing positional relationship between the first image and the second image; a difference-vector calculator calculating difference vectors representing differences between the first motion vectors and the second motion vectors; and an extracting unit extracting blocks including a moving object or blocks including a non-moving object based on distribution density of end points of the difference vectors.

Abstract: A laminated coil component includes an inner ceramic green sheet having a plurality of conductive coil patterns, a conductive lead pattern, and interlayer-connecting via holes; inner ceramic green sheets having interlayer-connecting via holes; an inner ceramic green sheet having a plurality of conductive coil patterns and a conductive lead pattern, and outer ceramic green sheets. The outer layers include three or more outer ceramic green sheets having a thickness that is less than that of the inner ceramic green sheets.

Abstract: To provide an X-ray microscopic inspection apparatus capable of performing non-destructive inspection with high resolving power equal to or less than 0.1 ?m in a very short period, and largely contributing to the nano-technology field. In the X-ray microscopic inspection apparatus having X-ray generating means for generating an X-ray by allowing an electron beam from an electron source to impinge on a target for X-ray generation, for inspecting an object to be inspected by utilizing the X-ray, a magnetic field superposition lens having a magnetic field generating portion disposed in the vicinity of an electron generating portion of an electron gun is included as a component element of the X-ray generating means. Further, the apparatus includes a liquid metal electron source using liquid metal or a thermal field emission electron source as the electron source, as a component element of the X-ray generating means.

Abstract: To provide an X-ray microscopic inspection apparatus capable of performing non-destructive inspection with high resolving power within a very short period, and having advantageous functions such as a high precision electron probe control function, a CT function, an elemental analysis function, and a target switching function. The apparatus includes a magnetic superposition lens having a magnetic field generating portion disposed in the vicinity of an electron generating portion of an electron gun; reflected electron detecting means having a detecting portion disposed above the target for X-ray generation, for detecting a reflected electron from the target; and electron image generating means for performing imaging of a target surface utilizing the signals from the reflected electron detecting means, wherein the apparatus is arranged so that alignment including focus adjustment to the target for X-ray generation and astigmatism correction may be performed based on image information of the electron image.