Abstract: To provide a slide curtain coating apparatus and method for depositing a curtain of coating liquid onto a running web, the apparatus and method capable of preventing the curtain from being condensed at its center region and preventing the resulting coating from having greater thickness at its edge regions. The coating apparatus includes: a slit for discharging the coating liquid; a slide on which the curtain flows down; and, a slide edge guide along which the curtain flows and which is provided at both edges on the slide and each having auxiliary liquid supply means at the surface facing the curtain; and auxiliary liquid supply means for discharging the auxiliary liquid from all over the surface thereof which touches the curtain at the edge guide. The coating method includes discharging the auxiliary liquid from all over the surface of the auxiliary supply means coating apparatus.

Abstract: RTP801 represents a unique gene target for hypoxia-inducible factor-1 (HIF-1). Down-regulation of the mTOR pathway activity by hypoxia requires de novo mRNA synthesis and correlates with increased expression of RTP801. The present invention relates to screening systems utilizing RTP801 and/or RTP801 interactors and/or RTP801 biological activity, to drug candidates identified by such screening systems, and to the use of such drug candidates in the treatment of various disorders.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus which updates a basic software package is disclosed. The information processing apparatus includes an encryption and decryption unit which stores values calculated uniquely from software and encrypts information based on the calculated values and decrypts encrypted information based on the calculated values. The basic software package includes a firmware authenticating module for authenticating a firmware updating file which includes new software for updating the basic software package, a value uniquely calculated from the new software, and a public key signature. The information processing apparatus further includes a software updating module which updates the basic software package by using the authenticated firmware updating file, and an encryption key managing module for encrypting again the information encrypted by the values based on a value changed by updating the basic software package.

Abstract: A photoreceptor including an electroconductive substrate, a photosensitive layer located overlying the electroconductive substrate, and a surface layer located overlying the photosensitive layer, the surface layer including a cross-linked material of a radical polymerizable monomer having at least 3 functional groups with no charge transport structure and a radical polymerizable compound having a charge transport structure, the surface layer having a sulfur concentration of 50 ppmw or lower.

Abstract: A crystal producing apparatus includes a crystal forming unit and a crystal growing unit. The crystal forming unit forms a first gallium nitride (GaN) crystal by supplying nitride gas into melt mixture containing metal sodium (Na) and metal gallium (Ga). The first GaN crystal is sliced and polished to form GaN wafers. The crystal growing unit grows a second GaN crystal on a substrate formed by using a GaN wafer, by the hydride vapor phase epitaxy method, thus producing a bulked GaN crystal.

Abstract: A liquid discharging-type image forming apparatus capable of securely eliminating mixed air bubbles from the ink liquid and forming a stable image. The apparatus includes: a sub tank 35 of which negative pressure amount is detected; a pump 115 sucking ink when the detected amount of the sub tank 35 is lower than a predetermined amount so that the sub tank 35 and recording heads 34 have negative pressure; a second backflow prevention unit 203 to stop the sent ink to be reserved in a second liquid container 201, which is pressurized as ink increases. When the ink is again filled in the sub tank 35, the ink is sent from the second liquid container 201 before being sent from the first liquid container. Accordingly, ink is not accumulated in the second liquid container 201, allowing the second liquid container 201 to be smaller and the image forming apparatus as a whole to be more compact.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a group III nitride crystal on a seed crystal in a holding vessel holding therein a melt containing a group III metal, an alkali metal and nitrogen. The manufacturing method comprises the steps of causing the seed crystal to make a contact with the melt, setting an environment of the seed crystal to a first state offset from a crystal growth condition while in a state in which said seed crystal is in contact with the melt, increasing a nitrogen concentration in the melt, and setting the environment of the seed crystal to a second state suitable for crystal growth when the nitrogen concentration of the melt has reached a concentration suitable for growing the seed crystal.

Abstract: A toner including a resin having a polyester skeleton, a coloring agent, a vinyl based copolymer resin, and a releasing agent, wherein the toner is manufactured by dissolving or dispersing a resin including the resin having a polyester skeleton and a mixture of the vinyl based copolymer resin and the releasing agent in an organic solvent to obtain a lysate and/or a dispersion material, dispersing the lysate and/or the dispersion material in an aqueous medium to obtain a liquid dispersion and removing the organic solvent from the liquid dispersion.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including an image bearing member that bears a latent image and has a surface layer; a charging device that charges the surface of the image bearing member: a latent image forming device that forms the latent image on the surface of the image bearing member; a development device that develops the latent image formed on the surface of the image bearing member with a development agent to form a toner image thereon; a transfer device that transfers the toner image to a transfer medium; a cleaning device that removes residual toner remaining on the surface of the image bearing member after transferring the toner image to the transfer medium; and a protection agent supplying device that supplies a protection agent to the surface layer of the image bearing member that forms a protection layer thereon, wherein the protection agent comprises a metal soap and boron nitride and the amount of the boron nitride in the protection layer applied to the image bearing member after image formation is

Abstract: An image processing apparatus subjects input image information to a predetermined image processing and outputs the image information. The image processing apparatus includes an UI processor that receives a plurality operation requests for the image information; and a request processor that interprets a combination of an input mode, of a plurality of input modes, which performs input processing, and an output mode, of a plurality of output modes, which performs output processing, and that requests the input processing from the input mode and requests the output processing from the output mode.

Abstract: An ink ejection head unit includes a head that ejects ink drops from plural two nozzles. The head includes a common liquid chamber connected to the plural nozzles. The common liquid chamber has a supply opening and an ejection opening. A tank is connected to the head and includes an ink containing section that contains ink to be supplied to the head. Also included is a supply path to supply the ink from the ink containing section to the supply opening of the head. An ejection path is provided to eject the ink ejected from the ejection opening of the head to an outside of the ink ejection head unit. A communication path is also provided to communicate the highest section of a seal of the containing section with the ejection path higher than the highest section of the seal. A fluid resistance of the communication path is larger than the total fluid resistance of a path starting from the supply opening to the ejection opening.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a housing, a carriage, and a damping mechanism. The carriage includes an image forming mechanism and moves back and forth in a main scan direction. The damping mechanism generates an impact to suppress vibration caused by movement of the carriage. The damping mechanism suppresses vibration during at least one of acceleration and deceleration of the carriage, and is inactive during movement of the carriage at a constant speed. The damping mechanism suppresses vibration when acceleration of the carriage equals or exceeds a predetermined threshold acceleration. The damping mechanism includes a suppression member and a mass member that strikes the suppression member. The suppression member is at least one of a shock absorber and an elastic member. Shock absorbing characteristics of the shock absorber and elasticity of the elastic member are variable.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of the general structure: wherein Y is O, X is O, bond ? is absent and bond ? is present, or Y is H, X is CH, bond ? is present, and bond ? is absent; atom Z is a carbon and bonds ?, ? and ? are present, or is a nitrogen and bonds ?, ? and ? are absent; R1 is —H, —OH, —O—R7, —N(H)—R8, —N(H)—(CH2)n—NH2, —N(R9)(R10), or a piperazine cation; R2 is either covalently bound to R9, or is —H, or is covalently bound to R3 so as to form a substituted or unsubstituted pyrrole or R2 is covalently bound to R9 or R8 or R7; or R1 and R2 are covalently joined to form an aromatic ring; R3 is either covalently bound to R2 so as to form a pyrrole, or is, inter alia, —H, —OH, alkyl, or when Z is nitrogen R3 is ?O; R4 is, inter alia, —H, —OH, or —R11NH2; R5 is, inter alia, —H, —OH, or —R12NH2, and R6 is either is covalently bound to R10 or is —H, or R6 is covalently bound to R10 or R8 or R7.

Abstract: A method and apparatus is disclosed for casting a composite ingot made of metals that are susceptible to surface oxide formation when molten. The method involves co-casting at least two metal layers from at least two molten metal pools formed within a direct chill casting apparatus. During the casting operation, movement of metal oxide formed on the upper surface of at least one of the pools towards an edge of the pool is restrained by an oxide skimmer positioned close to an edge of the pool above an external surface or metal-metal interface of the ingot. The apparatus provides a DC caster with at least one oxide skimmer that operates in this manner.

Abstract: The invention concerns adult multipotent human stem cells, characterized in that they have: i) significant telomerase activity, ii) an HLA Class I negative phenotype, iii) a normal karyotype, iv) a capacity to become quiescent, v) a capacity for self-renewal preserved for at least 130 population doublings.

Abstract: Disclosed is crystalline R(+)-N-propargyl-1-aminoindan and racemic N-propargyl-1-aminoindan characterized by colorless crystals a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, and the process for the manufacture and the validation thereof. Also disclosed is pure liquid R(+)-N-propargyl-1-aminoindan and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the same, and the process for the manufacture thereof.

Abstract: Methods and means are provided for reducing the phenotypic expression of a nucleic acid of interest in eukaryotic cells, particularly in plant cells, by providing aberrant, preferably unpolyadenylated, target-specific RNA to the nucleus of the host cell. Preferably, the unpolyadenylated target-specific RNA is provided by transcription of a chimeric gene comprising a promoter, a DNA region encoding the target-specific RNA, a self-splicing ribozyme and a DNA region involved in 3? end formation and polyadenylation.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for producing toner are provided. A fluid comprising a resin and a colorant is supplied to a retention member that includes a film on which multiple discharge openings are formed. The fluid which is supplied to the retention member is resonated so that liquid droplets thereof are discharged from the multiple openings. The liquid droplets which are discharged from the multiple openings are solidified to form mother particles of a toner.

Abstract: An X-ray tube 1 is heated under an X-ray scan condition (tube voltage V, tube current I, exposure time width t) and thus a focal point is shifted. Artifact occurs in a reconstructed image due to the focal point shift. The present invention has an object to enable correction of the focal point shift caused by heating the tube. The applicant and inventor of this application has confirmed that the focal point shift amount of the tube 1 varies in accordance with whether it is in a heating direction or cooling direction when viewed from a past sequence. Therefore, the sequence record and the focal point shift amount based on the heating and cooling directions are stored as data in a storage device 13. A just near past sequence record when viewed from now is stored in a storage unit 16, and the tube temperature is detected by a tube temperature detector 15.