Abstract: An object of the present invention is to properly control a fluidity and chargeability of a toner and to achieve both of white-spot prevention and good toner consumption. The invention relates to an electrostatic image developing toner comprising: toner base particles that contain at least a binding resin, a coloring agent and a wax; and an external additive, wherein the external additive contains silica particles (a), silica particles (b), and particles (c), which satisfy particular requirements.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a polymer, which comprises the step of performing a polymerization reaction using, as a starting material, an organic acid obtained by allowing a microorganism or a treated cell thereof to act on an organic raw material, wherein said microorganism has an ability to produce an organic acid and has been modified so as to produce less aromatic carboxylic acid as compared to an unmodified strain.

Abstract: A task is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution exhibiting excellent cycle capacity maintaining ratio and excellent low-temperature resistance characteristics and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the same. An object of the present invention is to provide a non-aqueous electrolytic solution which improves the cycle capacity maintaining ratio and low-temperature resistance characteristics, and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery using the non-aqueous electrolytic solution.

Abstract: The object of the invention is to provide an iridium complex compound which emits red light with a high luminescent quantum yield, a process for producing the compound, an organic electroluminescent element which employs the iridium complex compound and has a high luminescent efficiency, a display device, and an illuminator.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide nonaqueous electrolyte batteries having high initial efficiency, excellent initial capacity and excellent overcharge safety, and nonaqueous electrolytic solutions realizing such batteries. A nonaqueous electrolytic solution includes an electrolyte and a nonaqueous solvent, and further includes an aromatic compound represented by Formula (I) (in which R1 to R5 are independently hydrogen, a halogen, or an unsubstituted or halogen-substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, R6 and R7 are independently a hydrocarbon group having 1 to 12 carbon atoms, at least two of R1 to R7 may be bonded together to form a ring, and Formula (I) satisfies at least one of the requirements (A) and (B): (A) at least one of R1 to R5 is a halogen, or an unsubstituted or halogen-substituted hydrocarbon group having 1 to 20 carbon atoms, (B) the total number of carbon atoms in R1 to R7 is 3 to 20). A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes the nonaqueous electrolytic solution.

Abstract: A method for producing a useful protein using a plant of the present invention comprises the steps of: cultivating the plant (cultivation step); infecting the cultivated plant with Agrobacterium having a polynucleotide encoding the useful protein (infection step); and allowing the infected plant to express the useful protein (expression step); wherein, in at least part of the cultivation step, the plant is cultivated under lighting conditions where the ratio of the light energy within the wavelength region of 600 rim to 700 nm to the light energy within the wavelength region of 400 nm to 800 nm is not less than 50%.

Abstract: A transmission unit includes a gear member; a sleeve removably attached to the gear member, the sleeve including a guiding groove; and a transmission unit including a shaft having at least one protrusion extending radially outward from the shaft. The guiding groove is shaped such that the protrusion is moveable within the guiding groove in an axial direction and rotatable relative to the guiding groove.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide an electrophotographic photoreceptor in which the adhesion of the photosensitive layer is highly satisfactorily maintained regardless of the magnitude of shrinkage, and both of excellent electrical properties and excellent image characteristics are achieved. The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photoreceptor comprising: a conductive support; and, provided thereon, at least an undercoat layer and a photosensitive layer, wherein the undercoat layer comprises a binder resin and the binder resin comprises a polyamide resin which has a degree of elastic deformation of 56.0% or higher.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retardation film web having sufficient reversed wavelength dispersion characteristics and favorable for film lamination according to a roll-to-roll system. A retardation film web of the present invention includes a polycarbonate resin or a polyester carbonate resin, an orientation angle ? which is an angle between a slow axis and a width direction satisfies the following formula (I), and a ratio of an in-plane retardation R450 measured at a wavelength of 450 nm to an in-plane retardation R550 measured at a wavelength of 550 nm satisfies the following formula (II): 38°???52°??(I) R450/R550<1??(II).

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing a biomass-resource-derived polyurethane, which comprises: reacting a dicarboxylic acid and an aliphatic diol to produce a polyester polyol; and reacting the polyester polyol and a polyisocyanate compound, wherein the dicarboxylic acid contains at least one component derived from biomass resources, a content of an organic acid in the dicarboxylic acid is more than 0 ppm and not more than 1,000 ppm relative to the dicarboxylic acid, and a pKa value of the organic acid at 25° C. is not more than 3.7.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a carbon material for negative electrodes of non-aqueous secondary batteries having a high capacity, a high output, excellent cycle characteristics and a low irreversible capacity. The present invention relates to a carbon material for negative electrodes of non-aqueous secondary batteries, the carbon material comprising: (1) a composite carbon particles (A) containing elemental silicon, and (2) amorphous composite graphite particles (B) in which graphite particles (C) and amorphous carbon are composited.

Abstract: Provided is a slurry cleaning apparatus which can efficiently clean a slurry containing toner matrix particles or resin fine particles in a shorter time. The slurry cleaning apparatus of the present invention comprises a cleaning chamber for contacting a slurry with cleaning water, and flow rate controllers for controlling the flow rate of the slurry. The flow rate controllers are located respectively at a slurry inlet through which the slurry is fed to the cleaning chamber and at a slurry outlet through which the slurry is discharged from the cleaning chamber. The cleaning chamber has at least one filtration side having water permeability, and is constructed so that the slurry flows at a constant flow rate in a space in contact with the filtration side, wherein the cleaning water is fed to the cleaning chamber and brought into contact with the slurry flowing in the space, and then passes through the filtration side.

Abstract: The invention is to provide polycarbonate resins having excellent light resistance, transparency, hue, heat resistance, thermal stability, and mechanical strength and to provide processes for efficiently and stably producing a polycarbonate resin which stably shows those performances. The invention includes: polycarbonate resins which at least contain structural units derived from a dihydroxy compound having the portion represented by formula (1) as part of the structure thereof and which have specific properties; and processes for producing the polycarbonate resins, where the case where the portion represented by formula (1) is part of —CH2—O—H is excluded.

Abstract: A 1,4-butanediol-containing composition having high thermal stability as compared with conventional 1,4BG, and a 1,4-butanediol-containing composition having a concentration of 1,4-butanediol of 99.00% by weight or more and not more than 99.99% by weight and containing an amide compound in a concentration, as converted into a nitrogen atom, of from 1.0 to 25 ppm by weight.

Abstract: A photoreceptor drum unit is provided with a cylindrical photoreceptor drum, and two end members which are respectively disposed at both ends of the photoreceptor drum in an axial direction. One of the end members is provided with an elastic member, is biased in the axial direction, and is extendable and contractable. The other of the end members is provided with a cylindrical bearing member and a shaft member held in the bearing member.

Abstract: A method for enhancing charge carrier mobility of a field-effect transistor device. The method comprises generating uniaxial nanogrooves on a substrate and blade coating a solution comprising a semiconducting polymer onto the substrate. The polymer solution is spread onto the substrate in a direction parallel to the nanogrooves and a main-chain axis of the polymer is parallel to the nanogrooves. The semiconducting polymer can be then annealed, so that a polymer film is formed which is layered on top of the substrate, with polymer chains aligned parallel to a direction of charge carrier movement.

Abstract: A 1,4-butanediol (1,4BG)-containing composition having high thermal stability, and having a concentration of 1,4-butanediol of 99.00% by weight or more and not more than 99.99% by weight and 2-pyrrolidone or N-methylpyrrolidone in a concentration, as converted into a nitrogen atom, of from 1.0 to 25 ppm by weight.

Abstract: Provided is a base substrate with which a Group-III nitride crystal having a large area and a large thickness can be grown while inhibiting crack generation. A single-crystal substrate for use in growing a Group-III nitride crystal thereon, which satisfies the following Z1>0 expression (1), wherein Z1 (?m) is an amount of warpage of physical shape in a growth surface of the single-crystal substrate and Z2<0 expression (2), wherein Z2 (?m) is an amount of warpage calculated from a radius of curvature of crystallographic-plane shape in a growth surface of the single-crystal substrate.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a toner for development of electrostatic images (hereinafter referred to as toner) which, while preventing dust during fixation, secures improved hot offset resistance and is excellent in providing good image quality. The invention relates to the toner that comprises a binder resin, a colorant and a wax, wherein the wax has, while in a state of being contained in the toner, a melting point of from 55° C. to 90° C., and the value Dt of the toner satisfies a specific formula.

Abstract: A method of producing an ?-olefin low polymer, wherein an ?-olefin is subjected to low polymerization in a solvent in the presence of a chromium catalyst and at least one inert gas. The proportion of the inert gas is maintained from 0.010 to 50.00% by volume in a gas phase part of a reactor, such that inert gas is discharged from the reactor and/or circulation piping when the proportion exceeds 50.00%. The chromium catalyst contains a chromium compound, at least one nitrogen-containing compound, an aluminum-containing compound, and optionally a halogen-containing compound. Unreacted ?-olefin and solvent separated from a reaction liquid are circulated back into the reactor.