Abstract: According to an aspect, a detection device includes: drive electrodes; detection electrodes; and dummy electrodes in a floating state. The drive electrodes include a first electrode extending in a first direction, and a second electrode disposed at a predetermined interval from the first electrode in a second direction intersecting the first direction. The detection electrodes include a third electrode extending in the second direction. The dummy electrodes include a fourth electrode disposed at a predetermined interval from the third electrode in the first direction. The first electrode includes a first extension part, a second extension part, and a first coupling part. The second electrode includes a third extension part, a fourth extension part, and a second coupling part. The third electrode includes a fifth extension part, a sixth extension part, and a third coupling part. The fourth electrode includes a seventh extension part, and an eighth extension part.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a method for producing a nutrient solution for plant culture utilizing an organic material and providing a method of hydroponic culture in which a plant can be cultured while directly adding the organic material to the nutrient solution. The present invention provides a method for producing a biomineral-containing substance comprising establishing a microbial ecosystem necessary for stable mineralization of organic material by adding the organic material to water gradually or at one time and fermenting the resulting mixture and a method of hydroponic culture comprising utilizing the biomineral-containing substance obtained according to the method as at least a part of the nutrient solution and culturing the plant while directly adding the organic material to the nutrient solution.

Abstract: A satisfactory sound volume sensation from a hearing point of view can be obtained, and an effective sound volume correction operation can be obtained with an algorithm as simple as possible. Correction step 0 (correction function off, level correction value 0) to correction step 16 (level correction value—16 dB) are defined. When a first condition that is defined in such a manner as to correspond to a state in which distortion occurs is satisfied, the correction step is made to proceed by one step from the current correction step (?1 dB is added to a level correction value). When a second condition that is defined in such a manner as to correspond to a state in which distortion does not occur is satisfied, the correction step is made to return by one step from the current correction step (?1 dB is subtracted from the level correction value).

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing a method for producing a nutrient solution for plant culture utilizing an organic material and providing a method of hydroponic culture in which a plant can be cultured while directly adding the organic material to the nutrient solution. The present invention provides a method for producing a biomineral-containing substance comprising establishing a microbial ecosystem necessary for stable mineralization of organic material by adding the organic material to water gradually or at one time and fermenting the resulting mixture and a method of hydroponic culture comprising utilizing the biomineral-containing substance obtained according to the method as at least a part of the nutrient solution and culturing the plant while directly adding the organic material to the nutrient solution.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel esterase derived from Ideonella sp. 0-0013 strain (FERM BP-08660) having the following properties: (1) function, substrate specificity: hydrolyzes methyl 3-hydroxypalmitate to generate 3-hydroxypalmitic acid and methanol; (2) optimal temperature for functioning: 37° C.; (3) optimal pH and stable pH range: pH 7 or more to pH 10 or less; (4) temperature stability: 97% of the enzyme is stable at 43° C.; (5) inhibition, activation, and stabilization: activated by sodium ion and potassium ion, and inhibited by strontium ion, iron ion (divalent), and methyl palmitate; (6) molecular weight: about 46,500 Da (by SDS-PAGE), about 41,000 Da (by a gel filtration method); and (7) isoelectric point: pI 4 (by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing method); a microorganism producing the enzyme; and a method of producing the enzyme.

Abstract: A forging apparatus has an upper die unit connected to an actuator for displacement in unison therewith, and a lower die unit confronting the upper die unit and mounted in a body assembly fixed to a foundation. An outer ring is guided axially by a plurality of guide pins for axial displacement on and along an outer circumferential surface of the lower die unit. The forging apparatus also has first ejector pins for removing a forged workpiece upwardly and second ejector pins for holding the workpiece when the upper die unit is displaced upwardly.

Abstract: It is aimed at decreasing losses not only in a synchronous rectifier circuit provided at a secondary side of a DC-DC converter, but also in a full-bridge switching circuit provided at a primary side thereof. The DC-DC converter comprises a transformer for voltage conversion, a synchronous rectifier circuit at the secondary side, and a full-bridge switching circuit at the primary side. The DC-DC converter performs synchronous rectifier control which uses switch transistors to change paths of currents flowing through the secondary coil in synchronization with switching operations at the primary side. The DC-DC converter detects currents flowing through a load at the secondary side, primary-side currents varying with the load currents, or primary-side input voltages to dynamically control off-timings of a synchronous rectification transistor at the secondary side.

Abstract: A punch fixed to a body assembly is inserted into a hole in a workpiece, and the workpiece is pressed by an upper die to press a splining segment of the punch into the hole in the workpiece, thereby forming spline slots in the inner circumferential surface of the hole in the workpiece. After the spline slots have been formed, the lower surface of the workpiece around the hole is held on a second lower die, and the upper surface of an outer circumferential edge portion of the workpiece is pressed by the upper die to cause the hole in the workpiece to have desired dimensional accuracy.

Abstract: When an actuator is operated, an upper die is displaced downwardly, pressing a lower surface of a workpiece against a forming surface. After the upper die is displaced upwardly, an ejecting member is displaced upwardly to push the workpiece upwardly by a lower die. As the workpiece is displaced upwardly, an outer circumferential surface of the workpiece is squeezed by a squeezer projecting radially inwardly from an inner circumferential surface of an outer ring.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel esterase derived from Ideonella sp. 0-0013 strain (FERM BP-08660) having the following properties: (1) function, substrate specificity: hydrolyzes methyl 3-hydroxypalmitate to generate 3-hydroxypalmitic acid and methanol; (2) optimal temperature for functioning: 37° C.; (3) optimal pH and stable pH range: pH 7 or more to pH 10 or less; (4) temperature stability: 97% of the enzyme is stable at 43° C.; (5) inhibition, activation, and stabilization: activated by sodium ion and potassium ion, and inhibited by strontium ion, iron ion (divalent), and methyl palmitate; (6) molecular weight: about 46,500 Da (by SDS-PAGE), about 41,000 Da (by a gel filtration method); and (7) isoelectric point: pI 4 (by polyacrylamide gel isoelectric focusing method); a microorganism producing the enzyme; and a method of producing the enzyme.

Abstract: A satisfactory sound volume sensation from a hearing point of view can be obtained, and an effective sound volume correction operation can be obtained with an algorithm as simple as possible. Correction step 0 (correction function off, level correction value 0) to correction step 16 (level correction value—16 dB) are defined. When a first condition that is defined in such a manner as to correspond to a state in which distortion occurs is satisfied, the correction step is made to proceed by one step from the current correction step (?1 dB is added to a level correction value). When a second condition that is defined in such a manner as to correspond to a state in which distortion does not occur is satisfied, the correction step is made to return by one step from the current correction step (?1 dB is subtracted from the level correction value).

Abstract: It is aimed at decreasing losses not only in a synchronous rectifier circuit provided at a secondary side of a DC-DC converter, but also in a full-bridge switching circuit provided at a primary side thereof. The DC-DC converter comprises a transformer for voltage conversion, a synchronous rectifier circuit at the secondary side, and a full-bridge switching circuit at the primary side. The DC-DC converter performs synchronous rectifier control which uses switch transistors to change paths of currents flowing through the secondary coil in synchronization with switching operations at the primary side. The DC-DC converter detects currents flowing through a load at the secondary side, primary-side currents varying with the load currents, or primary-side input voltages to dynamically control off-timings of a synchronous rectification transistor at the secondary side.

Abstract: Even if duty is shifted to either a state in which an “H” period is long or a state in which an “L” period is long, the duty is recovered to about 50%. A duty correction circuit corrects a duty shift or deviation developed when analog complementary cycle signals having a phase difference of about half cycle therebetween and a duty ratio of about 50% are converted to logic levels, through the use of, for example, serial two-stage NAND gate static latches.

Abstract: The computer system includes a host system, a recording medium, and a digital signal decoder connected to the host system and the recording medium. The digital signal decoder receives M-bit data and generates an N-bit code word from the M-bit data. The number of consecutive bits of 1 in the code word is not larger than a first predetermined number K, and the number of consecutive bits of 0 is not larger than a second predetermined number L. When data is recorded/reproduced by a method such as NRZI (Non-Return to Zero Inverted), or the like, there is a defect in that the number of transitions of data is larger in a code with a high data encoding rate, and the run length of zero is long thereby increasing the data decoding error rate with the recording/reproducing of data. In the digital signal decoder according to the present invention, any code word includes at most 3 consecutive bits of 1, and at most 11 consecutive bits of 0, so that the data decoding error rate can be reduced.

Abstract: Even if duty is shifted to either a state in which an “H” period is long or a state in which an “L” period is long, the duty is recovered to about 50%.

Abstract: In a method for locking a probe of a scanning probe microscope at any desired position on a specimen surface plane for any desired time period, after taking a first microscopic image of a specimen surface area including the desired position, the probe is moved into the desired position and a second microscopic image is obtained. After moving the probe to the desired position again, a driving voltage applied to a piezoelectric element for driving the probe is kept unchanged during a given time interval T. At the end of the time period, a third microscopic image is taken. The amount of probe drift during the time interval is derived by comparing the relative positions of the second and third images to the first image, and the driving voltage is controlled in accordance with the thus derived amount of the probe drift such that the probe is moved automatically into the desired position.

Abstract: A calculation concerning the input of a signal is removed from a branch metric calculation processing on a trellis diagram of an extended partial response class, and the calculation of branch metrics and the selection of survivor paths can be carried out by the subtraction of the survivor paths and the comparison of constants.

Abstract: A method for covering sodium conveying piping in a fast breeder reactor which makes use of metallic sodium as a coolant material is described herein, which method consists of the steps of preparing a covering material by mixing a raw material having sodium resistance and silicate or phosphate under a wet condition and after press-shaping said mixture drying the shaped mixture, and covering the sodium conveying piping with said covering material, whereby dispersion of leaked metallic sodium from the piping can be prevented.