Abstract: A tyrosinase activity inhibitor and an ameliorant for facial blood flow that are excellent in terms of safety, and medicinal compositions, food compositions, and cosmetic preparations that contain the inhibitor and the ameliorant as active ingredients are provided. A tyrosinase activity inhibitor and an ameliorant for facial blood flow that contain anthocyan obtained by concentration or extraction of plant material, and medicinal compositions, food compositions, and cosmetic preparations that have an inhibitory action on tyrosinase activity and ameliorating action on facial blood flow are provided.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display apparatus includes a liquid crystal panel having a matrix of pixels, a control circuit, and a temperature sensor. The temperature sensor directly or indirectly detects a temperature of the liquid crystal panel. The control circuit reverses a polarity of a voltage applied to each pixel at a time interval variable with the detected temperature, while keeping a field frequency constant. The time interval is a positive integer multiple of the reciprocal of a field frequency, i.e., a positive integer multiple of a field period. When the temperature of the liquid crystal layer is low, the control circuit reverses the polarity of the voltage at a longer time interval. In contrast, when the temperature of the liquid crystal layer is high, the control circuit reverses the polarity of the voltage at a shorter time interval.

Abstract: A high voltage output driver derives operational power from high voltages and a switching circuit which reverses the output state of the high voltage output driver. The high voltage output driver has in a current path of the high voltages, a series circuit of a first MOS transistor (M1) and second MOS transistor (M2), with the serial connection node thereof being the driver output terminal. The switching circuit operates to reverse the complementary switching states of the first and second MOS transistors such that one transistor in the on-state is switched to an off-state first and the other transistor is switched to an on-state afterward. Even if the other MOS transistor has its Vds exceeding the minimum breakdown voltage when it operates to turn on, the through current path is already shut off, and therefore the high voltage output driver does not break down.

Abstract: A process for producing a photocatalyst material, the photocatalyst material exhibiting highly active photocatalytic action and capable of reducing special odor generated at the time of ultraviolet irradiation. This process comprises the raw photocatalyst material preparation step (P1) of obtaining a photocatalyst material (raw photocatalyst material) being in the state of not bearing any base metal on its surface and the base metal superimposition step (P3) of causing the raw photocatalyst material obtained in the step P1 to bear base metal fine particles on its surface to thereby obtain the photocatalyst material bearing a base metal.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide enzymes that have high endoglucanase activity and yet exhibit high activity even under alkaline conditions, and genes encoding the same. The enzyme according to the invention has the following properties: a) exhibiting endoglucanase activity; and b) capable of completely removing fuzz from regenerated cellulose fabrics at a concentration of 1 mg of the protein/L or below. The enzyme of the invention having endoglucanase activity is a protein comprising the amino acid sequence as shown in SEQ ID NO: 1, 3, 5, 7, 9 or 11; a modified protein thereof exhibiting endoglucanase activity; or a homologue of the protein or the modified protein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photocatalyst material, which can comprise a photocatalyst with an excellent adherence to a substrate and a high photocatalytic activity, and a production method thereof. The photocatalyst material (20) obtained by reacting crystal nuclei with a sol solution containing an organic metallic compound or the like and then carrying out gelation, solidification and heat treatment has a structure where more than one basic structures (10) are fixed to the surface of the substrate (1). The basic structure consists of abase portion (2) comprising crystal nuclei fixed to the surface of the substrate (1) and a photocatalyst crystalline body (3), which connects to and is extended from the base portion (2) and has a columnar structure having a hollow portion (5) formed therein. A cylindrical substrate may be used for the substrate (1). The above photocatalytic activity is further enhanced by the formation of an interior-exposing structure (8) in a shell portion (4).

Abstract: There are included a high voltage output driver (1) which derives operational power from high voltages and a switching circuit (2) which reverses the output state of the high voltage output driver. The high voltage output driver includes on a current path of the high voltages a series circuit of a first MOS transistor (M1) and second MOS transistor (M2), with the serial connection node thereof being the driver output terminal. The switching circuit operates to reverse the complementary switching states of the first and second MOS transistors such that one transistor in the on-state is turned to the off-state first and another transistor is turned to the on-state afterward. Even if the other MOS transistor has its Vds exceeding the minimum breakdown voltage when it operates to turn on, the through current path is already cut off, and therefore the high voltage output driver does not break down.

Abstract: An article containing an aqueous fabric care composition and a container for the composition to facilitate portability and encourage effective use of the composition away from the home. Also provided are kits including the acticles of the present invention in combination with one or more optional accessories including hangers, compression devices, weights, portable mats, air blowers, gloves, mitts, mini-irons and combinations thereof.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium from which data is read by using a Kerr effect and which is capable of preventing signal imbalance caused from change in birefringence even in a system in which the amplitude of a reproduced signal is small and the spatial frequency of a shortest record signal train of the magneto-optical recording medium is 1.1×NA/&lgr;(line/m) or higher. The photoelastic coefficient of a substrate of the magneto-optical recording medium is 50×10−13 cm2/dyne or smaller. The vertical birefringence of the substrate is 250×10−6 or smaller, the coefficient of water absorption of the same is 0.2 wt % or lower and the thermal coefficient of expansion of the same is 6.5×10−5 cm/cm·° C. or lower.

Abstract: A pattern formation process using a positive-working resist material of the formula (I): ##STR1## in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 may be the same or different, and each represents a substituted or unsubstituted lower alkyl group, X represents a halogen atom, and m and n each is larger than 0 and smaller than 100; and carrying out the development of the selectively exposed resist material with xylene for 10 to 20 minutes, or with other solvent(s). This process effectively obtains fine resist patterns having an increased sensitivity and excellent resolution without a reduction of the layer thickness in an unexposed area of the resist and resist residues in an exposed area of the same.

Abstract: A magneto-optical recording medium comprises, at least a transparent base plate, a dielectric layer formed on one major surface of the transparent base plate, and a recording magnetic layer formed over the dielectric layer. The dielectric layer may be a single-layer structure consisting of a dense dielectric film or may be a two-layer structure consisting of a porous dielectric film formed contiguously with the transparent base plate, and a dense dielectric film formed contiguously with the recording magnetic layer. The magneto-optical recording medium has high recording magnetic field sensitivity and excellent mechanical properties, and is capable of satisfactorily functioning for recording/reading operation on either a magnetic modulation recording system or an optical modulation recording system.

Abstract: A positive-type resist material for forming resist patterns having submicron geometries on a substrate, the resist material comprising a copolymer of a first monomer of silicon containing methacrylic ester and a second monomer of either acrylic ester or acrylonitrile, the alpha-position of the second monomer being substituted by an electron attracting group. The first monomer has a high resistance to an oxygen plasma and the second monomer has a high sensitivity to e-beam/X-ray irradiation. As the electron attracting group, a trifluoromethyl group, a halogen group, a cyano group and a CH.sub.2 CO.sub.2 R group are used. The embodied first monomers are trimethylsilylmethyl methacrylate and (diphenylmethylsilyl)methyl methacrylate, and the embodied second monomers are .alpha.-trifluoromethyl (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) acrylate and .alpha.-chloroacrylonitrile.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a semiconductor device and a pattern-forming coating solution used for this process are disclosed. In this process, a coating solution formed by dissolving an .alpha.-methylstyrene/methyl .alpha.-chloroacrylate copolymer as a specific positive resist material in a specific solvent is coated on a layer to be etched, which is formed on a semiconductor substrate. In this process, penetration between the substrate and the resist of the resist into the clayer to be etched, and a formation of cracks in the resist after the etching, are prevented.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the production of a semiconductor device, which comprises forming a film of a resist composed of a substance generating an acid catalyst by being irradiated with radiation and a polymer having an Si-containing group that can be eliminated by the acid catalyst, irradiating the resist film with radiations and patterning the irradiated resist film by oxygen reactive ion etching, ECR etching or reactive ion beam etching. This process is advantageously used for preparing a semiconductor device by the two-layer resist method.

Abstract: A positive-type resist material for forming resist patterns having submicron geometries on a substrate, the resist material comprising a copolymer of a first monomer of silicon containing methacrylic ester and a second monomer of either acrylic ester or acrylonitrile, the alpha-position of the second monomer being substituted by an electron attracting group. The first monomer has a high resistance to an oxygen plasma and the second monomer has a high sensitivity to e-beam/X-ray irradiation. As the electron attracting group, a trifluoromethyl group, a halogen group, a cyano group and a CH.sub.2 CO.sub.2 R group are used. The embodied first monomers are trimethylsilylmethyl methacrylate and (diphenylmethylsilyl)methyl methacrylate, and the embodied second monomers are .alpha.-trifluoromethyl (2,2,2-trifluoroethyl) acrylate and .alpha.-chloroacrylonitrile.

Abstract: Electrically conductive layer-providing compositions comprising a conducting or semiconducting polymer and/or a non-conducting precursor thereof and a photo-acid generator having a sensitivity to an ultraviolet radiation having a wavelength of 300 nm or less. The electrically conductive layer, when an electron beam resist layer adjacent thereto is exposed to a pattern of the electron beam, can effectively prevent an accumulation of an electrical charge on the resist layer and accordingly a misalignment of the resist pattern. In addition, the compositions and electrically conductive layer resulting therefrom can be stably stored if not exposed to ultraviolet radiation. Pattern formation processes using the electrically conductive layer-providing compositions are also provided.

Abstract: Polyether type antibiotics are produced by culturing a polyether type antibiotic-producing microorganism in a medium containing a fatty acid or its precursor and ammonia or an ammonium salt or urea.

Abstract: Polyether type antibiotics are produced by culturing a polyether type antibiotic-producing microorganism is a medium containing a fatty acid or its precursor and ammonia or an ammonium salt or urea.