Abstract: An image forming apparatus, including: an apparatus main body; a container which is removably mountable to the main body and has an outlet configured to discharge developer contained in the container; a connecting route member having an opening portion configured to be separated from and connected to the outlet, and a route through which the developer supplied to the opening portion passes; a moving unit configured to move the connecting route member in a direction in which the opening portion is moved toward the outlet when the container is mounted to the apparatus main body, and in a direction in which the opening portion is moved away from the outlet when the container is removed from the apparatus main body; and a cleaning unit configured to clean a part of the container, which faces the opening portion, after connection between the outlet and the opening portion is released.

Abstract: There is used an acoustic signal receiving apparatus including a wavelength-tunable light source for irradiating measurement light, a controller for controlling a wavelength of the measurement light, a Fabry-Perot probe having a first mirror on a side where the measurement light enters, a second mirror on a side where an elastic wave from an object enters, and a spacer film positioned between the first and second mirrors and deforms in response to the elastic wave, an array photosensor for detecting a reflected light amount of the measurement light by the Fabry-Perot probe, and a signal processor for acquiring an intensity of the incident elastic wave based on a change in the reflected light amount. The controller sweeps the wavelength of the measurement light, and the signal processor determines the wavelength based on the reflected light amount at each wavelength subjected to the sweep.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging apparatus performs imaging of an optical absorber. The photoacoustic imaging apparatus includes a light source, a detector configured to detect an acoustic wave generated from the optical absorber that has absorbed energy of light emitted from the light source, and a signal processing unit configured to form an image of the optical absorber. The signal processing unit stores information indicating whether a rate of change in pressure of the acoustic wave detected by the detector is positive or negative before performing a waveform process on the acoustic wave.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member; a developing device; a sealing member for unsealably sealing a space containing an initial developer; a first supplying device communicatable with the space to supply the developer into the developing device; a second supplying device for supplying the developer into first supplying device; an unsealing mechanism for unsealing the sealing member; and a controller capable of executing an operation in an unsealing mode in which the unsealing mechanism is operated, after supplying operation of second supplying device, to unseal the sealing member.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus on which a toner accommodation container accommodating toner is insertably/removably mounted to discharge the toner from the toner accommodation container by rotating the toner accommodation container includes a phase detection sensor that detects a rotation phase of the toner accommodation container by detecting a phase detection portion provided in the toner accommodation container and detects removal/mounting of the toner accommodation container from/on the image forming apparatus through the phase detection sensor.

Abstract: In order to prevent accidental inflow of toner into a development device and suppress occurrence of image defects caused by the accidental inflow of toner, in an image forming apparatus having a plurality of toner storage containers and a replenishing driving device including a drive motor which drives the toner storage container and a gear train which transmits drive of a drive gear attached to the drive motor to the toner storage container, a locking mechanism is provided including a rotation regulating member suppressing rotation of the gear train of the replenishing driving device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a bottle which is detachably mounted on an apparatus body to store toner; a shutter which is disposed on the bottle to open and close a discharge port which discharges the toner; and a shutter slider which is disposed in the apparatus body to open and close the shutter by engaging therewith along with an insertion operation of the bottle. The shutter slider is disposed to be movable from a first position, which allows the shutter to be located at a closed position at which the discharge port is closed by the shutter when the bottle is mounted on the apparatus body, to a second position, in which the discharge port is to be opened and closed by the shutter along with an operation of attaching and detaching the bottle to and from the apparatus body.

Abstract: Method of treating central nervous systems disease by administering wherein n is an integer of from 0 to 3; R1A is a 5-membered aromatic heterocyclic group containing at least one oxygen atom; R2A is —COR8 (wherein R8 is aryl); R3A is hydrogen or lower alkyl; and R12 represents cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alicyclic heterocyclic group, aromatic heterocyclic group, alicyclic hetocyclic-alkyl, or aromatic heterocyclic-alkyl, and R1A, R2A, R3A and R12 are individually optionally substituted.

Abstract: When a subject is pressed by a plate and an acoustic wave is received by a probe via the plate, the acoustic wave is refracted because of the difference between a sound velocity in the subject and a sound velocity in the plate. When the refraction is not considered, a reduction in resolution occurs. A correction table or a correction formula for correcting image distortion associated with refraction is provided. After image information is acquired, new image information is acquired in accordance with the correction table or the correction formula, and is displayed.

Abstract: An acoustic signal receiving apparatus including: a Fabry-Perot sensor including a Fabry-Perot interferometer configured to convert an acoustic wave into a light intensity signal; a control unit configured to set a first wavelength and a second wavelength; a detecting unit configured to convert light intensities obtained by irradiation of the Fabry-Perot sensor with light from the first light source and the second light source into electric signals; and a signal processing unit configured to acquire a difference between an electric signal corresponding to the first wavelength and an electric signal corresponding to the second wavelength, wherein the control unit is configured to set the first wavelength and the second wavelength so that differential values of reflectivity spectrum of the Fabry-Perot sensor are different at the first wavelength and the second wavelength.

Abstract: An area in which a sheet member and an intermediate transfer belt are in contact with each other is provided between an intersection between a guide surface of the second guide portion configured to guide a recording material toward the intermediate transfer belt and the intermediate transfer belt and a nip portion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming station including a developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image bearing member, using toner; a toner container for accommodating toner, the toner container including an expansion-and-contraction portion capable of being expanded and contracted in a longitudinal direction thereof; opposing side plates; holding members, provided on the side plates, respectively, for holding the toner container; a drive transmission mechanism for transmitting a drive to the image forming station, wherein the drive transmission mechanism is provided on one of the side plates, and wherein the holding member is mounted to the one of the side plates so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction is fixed to the other side plate.

Abstract: A photoacoustic imaging apparatus performs imaging of an optical absorber. The photoacoustic imaging apparatus includes a light source, a detector configured to detect an acoustic wave generated from the optical absorber that has absorbed energy of light emitted from the light source, and a signal processing unit configured to form an image of the optical absorber. The signal processing unit stores information indicating whether a rate of change in pressure of the acoustic wave detected by the detector is positive or negative before performing a waveform process on the acoustic wave.

Abstract: There is used an acoustic signal receiving apparatus including a wavelength-tunable light source for irradiating measurement light, a controller for controlling a wavelength of the measurement light, a Fabry-Perot probe having a first mirror on a side where the measurement light enters, a second mirror on a side where an elastic wave from an object enters, and a spacer film positioned between the first and second mirrors and deforms in response to the elastic wave, an array photosensor for detecting a reflected light amount of the measurement light by the Fabry-Perot probe, and a signal processor for acquiring an intensity of the incident elastic wave based on a change in the reflected light amount. The controller sweeps the wavelength of the measurement light, and the signal processor determines the wavelength based on the reflected light amount at each wavelength subjected to the sweep.

Abstract: The reliability is improved at a low cost even in a virtualized server environment. The number of spare servers is reduced for improving the reliability and for saving a licensing fee for software on the spare servers. A server system comprises a plurality of physical servers on which a plurality of virtual servers run, a single standby server, a module for detecting an active virtual server, and a module for switching the correspondence of boot disks of virtualization modules for controlling virtual servers to the physical servers. When a physical server fails, the boot disk of the associated virtualization module is connected to a spare server to automatically activate on the spare server those virtual servers which have been active upon occurrence of the failure.

Abstract: Use of an acoustic wave receiving apparatus which includes: a resonator including a first mirror on which measurement light is incident, a second mirror which is arranged to face the first mirror and on which acoustic waves from an object are incident, an acoustic wave reception layer interposed between the first mirror and the second mirror, and a compensation layer; and a detector for detecting a variation in an optical path length between the first mirror and the second mirror that occurs in response to deformation of the acoustic wave reception layer caused by incidence of the acoustic waves, wherein the variation in the optical path length due to a film thickness distribution of the acoustic wave reception layer is compensated by refraction in the compensation layer.

Abstract: An object information acquiring apparatus is used which includes a first light source outputting irradiation light delivered to an object, an output unit to which the irradiation light is guided and which includes an opening smaller than a wavelength of the irradiation light, a probe detecting an acoustic wave generated when the object absorbs near-field light output by the output unit, and a signal processing unit acquiring information on an interior of the object from the acoustic wave detected by the probe.

Abstract: When a primary server executing a task fails in a computer system where a plurality of servers are connected to an external disk device via a network and the servers boot an operation system from the external disk device, task processing is taken over from the primary server to a server that is not executing a task in accordance with the following method. The method for taking over a task includes the steps of detecting that the primary server fails; searching the computer system for a server that has the same hardware configuration as that of the primary server and that is not running a task; enabling the server, searched for as a result of the search, to access the external disk device; and booting the server from the external disk device.

Abstract: A measuring apparatus has a holding unit for holding an object, and a probe including a receiving element for receiving through the holding unit an acoustic wave generated by the object irradiated with light. The light is applied to an object surface held by the holding unit. The probe is arranged such that a direction of a normal to the object surface held by the holding unit is nonparallel to a direction in which the receiving element exhibits its highest reception sensitivity.

Abstract: Method of treating central nervous systems disease by administering wherein n is an integer of from 0 to 3; R1A is a 5-membered aromatic heterocyclic group containing at least one oxygen atom; R2A is —COR8 (wherein R8 is aryl); R3A is hydrogen or lower alkyl; and R12 represents cycloalkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alicyclic heterocyclic group, aromatic heterocyclic group, alicyclic hetocyclic-alkyl, or aromatic heterocyclic-alkyl, and R1A, R2A, R3A and R12 are individually optionally substituted.