Abstract: A fluid sterilization apparatus according to an embodiment includes a tubular cover; a tubular portion provided inside the cover; a supply head provided at one end of the tubular portion; a discharge head provided at the other end of the tubular portion; at least one light-emitting element provided in at least one of the supply head and the discharge head and allowed to irradiate an inside of the tubular portion with ultraviolet rays; and a temperature control unit capable of controlling a temperature of a space between the cover and the tubular portion.

Abstract: A charge transport layer, which is the surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, contains a charge transporting material, and a polyester resin A having a repeating structural unit including a specific siloxane moiety and at least one of a polyester resin C having a specific structure and a polycarbonate resin D having a specific structure as a binder resin. The content of the siloxane moiety in the polyester resin A is from 5% by mass or more to 30% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A. The charge transport layer includes a domain made of the polyester resin A in a matrix made of the charge transporting material and at least one of the polyester resin C and the polycarbonate resin D.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member having excellent cleaning performance, a process cartridge, and an electrophotographic apparatus. The peripheral surface of the member has flat portions having a width e (?m) satisfying 0.1?e?25 and a plurality of groove portions having a width w (?m) satisfying 0.1?w?25 and a depth d (?m) satisfying 0.1?d?3.0, the flat and groove portions at an angle ? (°) satisfying 80???100 with respect to the axial direction of the member. The sum esum (?m) of the widths e of the flat portions per each width of 100 ?m in the axial direction of the peripheral surface satisfying 5?esum?75, and e?/eAv satisfying e?/eAv?0.46, where eAv (?m) is the average value of the widths e of the flat portions, and e? is the standard deviation thereof.

Abstract: A piezoceramic multilayer actuator has a first sub-stack (12, 14, 16) with a plurality of piezoceramic layers (22) and at least one internal electrode (24, 26), the piezoceramic layers (22) and the at least one internal electrode (24, 26) being laminated in an alternating manner, a second sub-stack (12, 14, 16) has a plurality of piezoceramic layers (22) and at least one internal electrode (24, 26), the piezoceramic layers (22) and the at least one internal electrode (24, 26) being laminated in an alternating manner, and a connection layer (40) arranged between the first sub-stack (12, 14, 16) and the second sub-stack (12, 14, 16), wherein the connection layer (40) is set up by a multitude of single connection points or connection lines (44) or other connection regions.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member having excellent cleaning performance, a process cartridge, and an electrophotographic apparatus. The peripheral surface of the member has flat portions having a width e (?m) satisfying 0.1?e?25 and a plurality of groove portions having a width w (?m) satisfying 0.1?w?25 and a depth d (?m) satisfying 0.1?d?3.0, the flat and groove portions at an angle ? (°) satisfying 80???100 with respect to the axial direction of the member. The sum esum (?m) of the widths e of the flat portions per each width of 100 ?m in the axial direction of the peripheral surface satisfying 5?esum?75, and e?/eAv satisfying e?/eAv?0.46, where eAv (?m) is the average value of the widths e of the flat portions, and e? is the standard deviation thereof.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus is provided including an electrophotographic photosensitive member which includes a surface protective layer; and an exposure device which irradiates a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with an exposure beam so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the surface protective layer includes a material having no structure to provide charge transporting performance and has a plurality of through holes penetrating from the side of the front surface of the surface protective layer to the side of the charge transport layer, and the thickness of the surface protective layer is from 0.1 ?m or more to 1.5 ?m or less, and wherein when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated with the exposure beam, two or more of the through holes are included in an exposure beam spot.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator unit which undergoes less change in the amount of displacement and shows high durability in continuous operation under a high voltage and a high pressure over a long period of time is provided. The piezoelectric actuator unit including a multi-layer piezoelectric element having piezoelectric layers and metal layers with the piezoelectric layers and the metal layers being stacked one on another, and a case which houses the multi-layer piezoelectric element, wherein at least one of the plurality of metal layers is stress relieving layer which consists of a plurality of partial metal layers that are scattered throughout the entire region between two piezoelectric layers which adjoin the partial metal layers in the direction of stacking, and voids, and a peel-off section is formed at least in a part of the interface between the stress relieving layer and the piezoelectric layer that adjoins therewith.

Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element includes a stack having metal layers and piezoelectric layers stacked one on another, and a pair of external electrodes formed on the side faces of the stack. At least one of the metal layers is a stress relieving layer having partial metal layers scattered between the two piezoelectric layers and voids. Junction sections are formed between the two piezoelectric layers to join and are disposed on both sides of an imaginary straight line drawn to connect the center of width of one of the external electrodes and the center of width of the other of the external electrodes in a plane including the stress relieving perpendicular to the stacking direction.

Abstract: A multi-layer piezoelectric element having higher durability which experience less decrease in the amount of displacement even when operated continuously over a long period of time under a high pressure and a high voltage is provided. The multi-layer piezoelectric element comprises a plurality of piezoelectric layers and a plurality of internal electrode layers, wherein the piezoelectric layers and the internal electrode layers are stacked alternately one on another, and at least one of the plurality of internal electrode layers contains at least one nitride, titanium nitride or zirconium nitride.

Abstract: An electrophotographic apparatus is provided including an electrophotographic photosensitive member which includes a surface protective layer; and an exposure device which irradiates a surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member with an exposure beam so as to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member, wherein the surface protective layer includes a material having no structure to provide charge transporting performance and has a plurality of through holes penetrating from the side of the front surface of the surface protective layer to the side of the charge transport layer, and the thickness of the surface protective layer is from 0.1 ?m or more to 1.5 ?m or less, and wherein when the surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member is irradiated with the exposure beam, two or more of the through holes are included in an exposure beam spot.

Abstract: A charge transport layer, which is the surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member, contains a charge transporting material, and a polyester resin A having a repeating structural unit including a specific siloxane moiety and at least one of a polyester resin C having a specific structure and a polycarbonate resin D having a specific structure as a binder resin. The content of the siloxane moiety in the polyester resin A is from 5% by mass or more to 30% by mass or less based on the total mass of the polyester resin A. The charge transport layer includes a domain made of the polyester resin A in a matrix made of the charge transporting material and at least one of the polyester resin C and the polycarbonate resin D.

Abstract: A method for producing a solid body having depressed portions on its surface is provided. The method includes: using a solution which includes a solvent A, a solvent B, a solvent C, and a polymer compound, where the solvent B is a hydrophobic solvent, the solvent A is a hydrophilic solvent having a boiling point not lower than the boiling point of the solvent B, and the solvent C is a non-hydrophobic solvent having a boiling point lower than the boiling point of the solvent B, and the contents of the solvent A, solvent B, and solvent C satisfy specific conditions; and solidifying the solution while forming depressed portions on the surface of the solution by condensation during the process of evaporating the solvents included in the solution.

Abstract: Provided is an electrophotographic photosensitive member having excellent cleaning performance, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus, each including the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The peripheral surface of the electrophotographic photosensitive member has a plurality of flat portions having a width e (?m) that satisfies the relationship 0.1?e?25 and a plurality of groove portions having a width w (?m) that satisfies the relationship 0.1?w?25 and a depth d (?m) that satisfies the relationship 0.1?d?3.0, the flat portions and the groove portions being alternately formed at an angle ? (°) that satisfies the relationship 80???100 with respect to the axial direction of the electrophotographic photosensitive member. The sum esum (?m) of the widths e of the flat portions per each width of 100 ?m in the axial direction of the peripheral surface satisfies the relationship 5?esum?75, and e?/eAv satisfies the relationship e?/eAv?0.

Abstract: A piezoceramic multilayer actuator (10) includes a plurality of green layers, wherein the green layers are to be converted to piezoceramic layers (12) with a piezoceramic material in a subsequent step of heating. A security layer material mixture with a second material (32) and particles (30) embedded in the second material (32) is provided, wherein the particles (30) have a third material different from the first material and different from the second material (32). The security layer material mixture is laminated between two piezoceramic layers (12), thereby forming a green stack. The green stack is heated to a sintering temperature, wherein the green layers are converted to the piezoceramic layers (12), and wherein a chemical reaction of the third material degrades the mechanical connection of the piezoceramic layers (12) by the security layer (20).

Abstract: A method of very inexpensively and stably producing a solid body having a depressed portion on a surface, which is expected to be applied in a variety of industrial fields. This method forms a solid body having a depressed portion on a surface by using a solution at least containing a solvent A, a solvent B and a polymer compound soluble in solvent B, solvent A being a hydrophilic solvent and solvent B being a hydrophobic solvent, the boiling point of solvent A being equal to or higher than the boiling point of solvent B, and the total mass of solvent B being 50% or more of the total mass of the solvents contained in the solution, then solidifying the solution while forming a depressed portion from condensation on the surface of the solution during a process wherein either one or both of the solvent A and solvent B contained in the solution are evaporating.

Abstract: A charge transport layer serving as a surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a polyester resin having a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (1) and a repeating structural unit represented by the following formula (2), as a binder resin; the content of a siloxane moiety of the polyester resin is not less than 5% by mass and not more than 30% by mass relative to the total mass of the polyester resin; and the content of the polyester resin in the charge transport layer is not less than 60% by mass relative to the total mass of the whole binder resin in the charge transport layer.

Abstract: A charge transport layer serving as a surface layer of an electrophotographic photosensitive member contains a charge transporting material, polyester resin A containing a siloxane moiety and at least one of polyester resin C and polycarbonate resin D. The content of a siloxane moiety in polyester resin A is not less than 10% by mass and not more than 40% by mass relative to the total mass of polyester resin A. The charge transport layer has a matrix-domain structure having a matrix formed of the charge transporting material and at least one of polyester resin C and polycarbonate resin D and a domain formed of polyester resin A in the matrix.

Abstract: A piezoelectric actuator unit which undergoes less change in the amount of displacement and shows high durability in continuous operation under a high voltage and a high pressure over a long period of time is provided. The piezoelectric actuator unit including a multi-layer piezoelectric element having piezoelectric layers and metal layers with the piezoelectric layers and the metal layers being stacked one on another, and a case which houses the multi-layer piezoelectric element, wherein at least one of the plurality of metal layers is stress relieving layer which consists of a plurality of partial metal layers that are scattered throughout the entire region between two piezoelectric layers which adjoin the partial metal layers in the direction of stacking, and voids, and a peel-off section is formed at least in a part of the interface between the stress relieving layer and the piezoelectric layer that adjoins therewith.

Abstract: A piezoceramic multilayer actuator (10) has a plurality of piezoceramic layers (12), a security layer (20) and a plurality of inner electrodes (16, 18). The piezoceramic layers (12) has a piezoceramic first material sintered at a sintering temperature. The security layer (20) has a second material and is disposed between two piezoceramic layers (12). Each of the plurality of inner electrodes (16, 18) has a third material and is deposited between two piezoceramic layers (12). The degree of sintering of the second material is lower than the degree of sintering of the third material.

Abstract: A piezoceramic multilayer actuator (10) has a plurality of piezoceramic layers (12) and a security layer (20) disposed between two piezoceramic layers (12). The piezoceramic layers (12) have a piezoceramic first material sintered at a sintering temperature. The security layer (20) has a second material (32) and particles (30) at least partially embedded in the second material (32). The particles (30) have a third material different from the first material and different from the second material (32). An adhesion between the third material and the first material is weaker than an adhesion between the second material (32) and the first material.