Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image includes: toner base particles containing a hybrid crystalline polyester resin having a crystalline polyester polymerized segment and an amorphous polymerized segment chemically bonded to each other and an amorphous resin; and an external additive including fatty acid metal salt particles, wherein a volume median diameter of the fatty acid metal salt particles is from 3.0 to 5.0 ?m.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image, the carrier including carrier particles each including a core particle with a surface coated with a coating material including a resin, and the method including the steps of: a) obtaining first coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using, as a polymerization initiator, an azo compound having a nitrogen atom-containing substituent; b) obtaining second coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using a persulfate as a polymerization initiator; and c) forming carrier particles by coating surfaces of core particles with a coating material obtained by mixing at least the first and second coating resin particles.

Abstract: A process of forming an image includes the steps of: developing an electrostatic latent image with a toner, the latent image being formed through charge of the surface of an electrostatic latent image carrier and exposure of the surface to light; and applying a lubricant onto the surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier. The toner includes a toner matrix particle and an external additive nanoparticle. The external additive nanoparticle comprises a silica-polymer composite nanoparticle. A percentage of atomic silicon present on the surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle satisfies Condition A expressed by Expression: 15.0 atm %?percentage of atomic silicon ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)?30.0 atm %. The percentage of atomic silicon is determined from total amounts of atomic carbon, oxygen, and silicon present on the topmost surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle and within 3 nm inwards from the topmost surface.

Abstract: A bridging apparatus includes an address-table managing unit configured to manage an address table in which devices connected to networks are registered, a presence-check-frame transmission control unit configured to transmit a presence check frame for checking whether a device is connected to a network, and a network transmission-reception control unit configured to call, upon receipt of a response request frame transmitted from a first device connected to a first network toward a second device connected to a second network, the address-table managing unit to register the first device in the address table and check whether the second device is registered in the address table, and when the second device is registered, transmit an acknowledgement to the first device and transfer the response request frame to the second network, whereas when the second device is not registered, instruct the presence-check-frame transmission control unit to transfer the response request frame to the second network.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a carrier for developing an electrostatic latent image, the carrier including carrier particles each including a core particle with a surface coated with a coating material including a resin, and the method including the steps of: a) obtaining first coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using, as a polymerization initiator, an azo compound having a nitrogen atom-containing substituent; b) obtaining second coating resin particles by polymerizing an alicyclic methacrylate monomer using a persulfate as a polymerization initiator; and c) forming carrier particles by coating surfaces of core particles with a coating material obtained by mixing at least the first and second coating resin particles.

Abstract: An objective of the present invention is to provide a ceramic composite material for light conversion which exhibit s excellent heat resistance, durability, and the like as a light converting member of an optical device such as a white light emitting diode, easily controls the ratio of light from a light source and fluorescence, can reduce color unevenness and variance of emitted light, and has high internal quantum efficiency and fluorescence intensity, a method for producing the same, and a light emitting device which includes the same and has high light conversion efficiency. Provided is a ceramic composite material for light conversion including: a fluorescence phase; and a light transmitting phase, the fluorescence phase being a phase containing Ln3Al5O12:Ce (Ln is at least one element selected from Y, Lu, and Tb, and Ce is an activation element), and the light transmitting phase being a phase containing LaAl11O18.

Abstract: Provided is a technique of uniformly processing a substrate within a short time by supplying a sufficient amount of active species to a surface of the substrate. A substrate processing apparatus includes: a process chamber; a discharge chamber; a plasma source; an exhaust system; a process gas supply system including a temporary storage unit; and a control unit configured to control the plasma source, the exhaust system and the process gas supply system to: intermittently supply a process gas temporarily stored in the temporary storage unit into the discharge chamber; and supply the process gas activated in the discharge chamber from the discharge chamber into the process chamber having an inner pressure lower than an inner pressure of the discharge chamber.

Abstract: A power transmitting apparatus (1) is provided with: a power feeder (13, 14, 15); a power receiver (23) disposed with a space from the power feeder; a power storing device (26) electrically connected to the power feeder and configured to supply power to a load (27); a distance changing device (16) configured to change a distance between the power feeder and the power receiver; a detecting device (25) configured to detect a power storage state associated with the power storing device; and a controlling device (11) configured to control the power feeder to change output power according to the detected power storage state, and configured to control the distance changing device to change the distance.

Abstract: To provide a fixing solution and an image forming method in which faster fixing rate and faster drying rate can be achieved while the amount of fixing solution supplied is reduced and furthermore, a wet feeling in a formed image is reduced and an image having a high fixing strength can be formed. A fixing solution that softens a toner to fix a toner image constituted by the toner to an image support contains a hydroxyl group-containing ester compound expressed by general formula (1) below: R1—(CO)—O—R2??general formula (1): where R1 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 6 to 11 carbon atoms, and R2 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having at least one hydroxyl group and 2 to 4 carbon atoms.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrostatic latent image developing toner which contains a toner host particle having a domain-matrix structure. The matrix contains an amorphous resin which contains a vinyl resin having an acid group, the domain contains a crystalline resin which is formed by combining a vinyl polymerized segment and a polyester polymerized segment. A content of the crystalline resin falls within a range from 3 to 30% by mass.

Abstract: A process of forming an image includes the steps of: developing an electrostatic latent image with a toner, the latent image being formed through charge of the surface of an electrostatic latent image carrier and exposure of the surface to light; and applying a lubricant onto the surface of the electrostatic latent image carrier. The toner includes a toner matrix particle and an external additive nanoparticle. The external additive nanoparticle comprises a silica-polymer composite nanoparticle. A percentage of atomic silicon present on the surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle satisfies Condition A expressed by Expression: 15.0 atm %?percentage of atomic silicon ({Si/(C+O+Si)}×100)?30.0 atm %. The percentage of atomic silicon is determined from total amounts of atomic carbon, oxygen, and silicon present on the topmost surface of the silica-polymer composite nanoparticle and within 3 nm inwards from the topmost surface.

Abstract: The sizes required for maintenance are reduced and an occupying floor area is reduced. The substrate processing apparatus contains a load lock chamber 41 and a transfer chamber 24 respectively provided in order from the rear side within a case 11; and a processing chamber 53 provided above the load lock chamber 41 for processing wafers 1. An opening section 27A, and an opening and closing means 28A for opening and closing the opening section 27A are respectively provided in a location at the rear side of the transfer chamber 24 where the load lock chamber 41 is not arranged.

Abstract: To provide a toner for electrostatic charge image development, a two-component developer, and a method for forming an image in which a high quality image can be stably obtained by suppression of a decrease in image density as caused by excessive electrification in a low temperature and low humidity environment, prevention of fogging as caused by lowered electrification property in a high temperature and high humidity environment, and suppression of a difference in image density. A toner for electrostatic charge image development which contains toner particles containing at least a binder resin and external additives containing metal salts of fatty acid, in which a ratio of the metal salts of fatty acid that are liberated by a centrifugal treatment in an aqueous dispersion is 30 to 80% and the number average particle diameter of the particles that are present in a supernatant after the centrifugal treatment is 0.7 ?m to 3.

Abstract: A method of producing a silicon nitride powder includes heating an amorphous Si—N(—H)-based compound in which assuming that the specific surface area is RS (m2/g) and the oxygen content ratio is RO (mass %), RS/RO is 500 or more, at a temperature rising rate of 12 to 100° C./min in a temperature range from 1,000 to 1,400° C. while flowing the compound by a continuous firing furnace.

Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic charge image developing carrier and a two-component developer capable of stably obtaining a high-definition image by preventing fogging and toner scattering associated with a change in the electrostatic property of a toner associated with a change in temperature and humidity of the environment, particularly, a decrease in electrification quantity in a high-temperature high-humidity environment. An electrostatic charge image developing carrier includes a carrier particle formed by coating a surface of a core material particle with a coating material including a resin, the resin is obtained by polymerizing a monomer including at least an alicyclic methacrylic acid ester compound, the coating material contains a sulfur element, and a ratio (S/C) of a sulfur element content (S) to a carbon element content (C) in the coating material is 0.003 to 0.008.

Abstract: A method of producing a silicon nitride powder includes heating an amorphous Si—N(—H)-based compound in which assuming that the specific surface area is RS (m2/g) and the oxygen content ratio is RO (mass %), RS/RO is 500 or more, at a temperature rising rate of 12 to 100° C./min in a temperature range from 1,000 to 1,400° C. while flowing the compound by a continuous firing furnace.

Abstract: A first calculation device is provided that calculates a ratio of a target torque equivalent value of an engine to a maximum torque equivalent value of the engine, as a pressure ratio equivalent value. A second calculation device is also provided that calculates a flow velocity of air to flowing through a throttle valve in the engine, based on the pressure ratio equivalent value calculated by the first calculation device. A third calculation device is further provided that calculates a target throttle valve opening, based on the flow velocity calculated by the second calculation device. With this configuration, the target opening of a throttle valve corresponding to the requested engine torque, without using the pressures before and after the throttle valve section.

Abstract: Disclosed is an electrostatic latent image developing toner which contains a toner host particle having a domain-matrix structure. The matrix contains an amorphous resin which contains a vinyl resin having an acid group, the domain contains a crystalline resin which is formed by combining a vinyl polymerized segment and a polyester polymerized segment. A content of the crystalline resin falls within a range from 3 to 30% by mass.

Abstract: An engine control apparatus includes a target air volume calculator which calculates a target air volume required by an engine, and an actual air volume calculator which calculates an actual air volume inhaled into a cylinder of the engine. The apparatus further includes an estimator which calculates the estimated value of subsequent actual air volume on the basis of a time lag from a time when the target air volume is calculated to a time when the actual air volume reaches the target air volume. The apparatus can accurately estimate an intake air volume inhaled into the cylinder to improve the controllability of the engine.

Abstract: In an image forming method of wet fixing system, the fixing solution contains an ester compound represented by at least one of general formula (1) and general formula (2) below: R11—(CO)—O—R12??General formula (1): where R11 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having at least one hydroxyl group and 2 to 11 carbon atoms, and R12 represents a linear or branched alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms; R21—O—(CO)—R22—(CO)—O—R23??General formula (2): where R21 represents a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms, R22 represents a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having at least one hydroxyl group and 1 to 8 carbon atoms, and R23 represents a linear or branched aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.