Abstract: Provided is an alkaline fuel cell, including: a membrane electrode assembly including an anion conductive electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode stacked on a first surface of the anion conductive electrolyte membrane, and a cathode electrode stacked on a second surface opposite to the first surface of the anion conductive electrolyte membrane; a first separator stacked on the anode electrode, at least including a fuel receiving portion for receiving a fuel; a second separator stacked on the cathode electrode, at least including an oxidant receiving portion for receiving an oxidant; and an alkaline aqueous solution supply portion for bringing an alkaline aqueous solution into contact with only the anion conductive electrolyte membrane of the membrane electrode assembly.

Abstract: An anion-exchange-membrane type of fuel-cell-system includes: a fuel cell part; and a carbon dioxide eliminating part, wherein the fuel cell part comprises a fuel electrode, an air electrode, an anion-exchange type of solid polymer electrolyte membrane sandwiched between the fuel electrode and the air electrode, a fuel channel that supplies a fuel gas to the fuel electrode, and an air channel that supplies air or an oxygen gas to the air electrode, and the carbon dioxide eliminating part is configured to eliminate carbon dioxide which is mixed in the fuel gas when the fuel gas flows through the fuel channel, and to allow the fuel gas to flow again into the fuel channel after eliminating the carbon dioxide.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a character recognition section for performing a character recognition process and a formatting process section for generating an image file in which text data obtained by the character recognition process are associated with the image data, the character recognition section generating the text data corresponding respectively to a plurality of possible character recognition results. This makes it possible to prevent omission in search in a case where a keyword search based on the text data is carried out, in the image processing apparatus that generates an image file in which image data obtained by reading a document is associated with text data obtained by a character recognition process on the image data.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrogen production device which is high in the light use efficiency and can produce hydrogen with high efficiency without decreasing the hydrogen generation rate.

Abstract: A redox flow battery comprising an electrode cell including a negative electrode cell, a positive electrode cell and a separator for separating them, in which at least one of the negative electrode cell and the positive electrode cell includes a slurry type electrode solution, a porous current collector and a casing; a tank for storing the slurry type electrode solution; and a pipe for circulating the slurry type electrode solution between the tank and the electrode cell.

Abstract: Disclosed is an image processing apparatus which (i) determines whether or not characters to be subjected to a character recognition process in image data have a size larger than a predetermined size, (ii) in a case where the characters is determined as larger than the predetermined size, reduces at least a region including the characters so that the size of the characters fits within the predetermined size, and (iii) performs a character recognition process of the characters with use of the reduced image data.

Abstract: An object area containing a text or a graphic is extracted from a document image containing the text or the graphic. Then, on the basis of the extracted object area and stored size information, a cropping area is determined that surrounds the object area with given margins. Further, setting of margins is received. Then, on the basis of the object area and the received setting of the margins, the cropping area is determined. Then, the cropping area determined on the basis of the object area and the size information or alternatively the cropping area determined on the basis of the object area and the setting of the margins is cropped from the document image.

Abstract: There is provided a hydrogen production device high in light use efficiency and capable of producing hydrogen with high efficiency. The hydrogen production device according to the present invention includes a photoelectric conversion part having a light acceptance surface and a back surface, a first gas generation part provided on the back surface, and a second gas generation part provided on the back surface, in which one of the first gas generation part and the second gas generation part is a hydrogen generation part to generate H2 from an electrolytic solution, another one thereof is an oxygen generation part to generate O2 from the electrolytic solution, the first gas generation part is electrically connected to the back surface, and the second gas generation part is electrically connected to the light acceptance surface via a first conductive part.

Abstract: There is provided a membrane electrode assembly comprising an electrolyte membrane, an anode electrode stacked on one surface of the electrolyte membrane, a cathode electrode stacked on the other surface of the electrolyte membrane, and a channel plate arranged on a side of the anode electrode, said side being the reverse side of the electrolyte membrane side. The membrane electrode assembly also comprises an insulating sealing layer which covers at least the lateral surfaces of the anode electrode, the electrolyte membrane and the channel plate, and contains a water-swellable particle.

Abstract: A hydrogen producing method by culturing a microorganism having a hydrogenase gene, in which a lactic acid biogenetic path and a succinic acid biogenetic path in anaerobic metabolic paths are inactivated, under an anaerobic condition in the presence of organic substrate. The microorganism may further have a formate dehydrogenase gene. The microorganism may be Escherichia coli which is a facultative anaerobic bacterium.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a character recognition section for performing a character recognition process for a character included in a document, based on image data obtained by reading the document; and a formatting process section for generating an image file in which text data obtained by the character recognition process are associated with the image data, the character recognition section generating the text data corresponding respectively to a plurality of possible character recognition results, in a case where the character recognition section detects the plurality of possible character recognition results, the formatting process section generating the image file in which each of the text data produced by the character recognition section is associated with the image data.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes: a document detection section for detecting, according to image data of a document image, an image processing condition to be applied at a time when the document image is displayed or printed; a draw command generation section for generating a draw command for controlling a computer so as to cause the computer to perform display or printing after image processing in accordance with the image processing condition, at the time when the document image is displayed or printed; a formatting process section for generating an image file in which the draw command is added to the image data that has not been subjected to the image processing. This makes it possible to rapidly generate an image file of image data obtained by reading a document and also makes it possible to cause a device that displays or prints the image data to perform appropriate image processing.

Abstract: In a step of contacting an organic material including formic acid ions and a carbon source other than the formic acid ions with a microorganism having a formate dehydrogenase gene and a hydrogenase gene under an anaerobic condition, concentration of the formic acid ions in the organic material is set to be not less than 0.01 mol/L and not more than 0.5 mol/L, and concentration of the carbon source is set to not less than 0.1 mmol/L and not more than 200 mmol/L. This allows continuously producing hydrogen for a long time, without dropping the ability of the microorganism to produce hydrogen.

Abstract: The present invention provides a microorganism which possesses the formate dehydrogenase gene and hydrogenase gene and contains an exogenous transcription activator gene for formate hydrogen lyase system, characterized in that said microorganism shows the transcription activator for formate hydrogen lyase system highly expressed therein and shows an improved function to generate hydrogen from formic acid, and a process for producing hydrogen using the microorganism. Utilization of the microorganism of the present invention enables the hydrogen production from an organic substrate to be accomplished on a practical, commercial scale. The hydrogen to be produced by the present invention, which is free of carbon monoxide being causative to poisoning of the electrode catalyst for fuel cells, is useful as a fuel for fuel cells.

Abstract: A hydrogen producing method by culturing a microorganism having a hydrogenase gene, in which a lactic acid biogenetic path and a succinic acid biogenetic path in anaerobic metabolic paths are inactivated, under an anaerobic condition in the presence of organic substrate. The microorganism may further have a formate dehydrogenase gene. The microorganism may be Escherichia coli which is a facultative anaerobic bacterium.

Abstract: When an image forming means forms a reading gradation pattern chart, gradation patterns are formed so as to prevent an intensified electric field caused by a potential difference at a boundary of an electrostatic latent image on the gradation patterns, which are adjacent to each other in a sub-scanning direction of an image forming section. With this arrangement, an image forming apparatus for suitably correcting the gradation pattern can adjust image forming conditions in a positive and appropriate manner.