Abstract: A first fixture of a transportable fixture apparatus incorporates a substantially porous first region adapted to receive one or more porous and/or non-porous first material layers, such as fuel cell layers, and to facilitate formation of a vacuum between the first fixture and the first material layers. A second fixture incorporates a substantially porous second region adapted to receive one or more porous and/or non-porous second material layers and to facilitate formation of a vacuum between the second fixture and the second material layers. A stop arrangement protrudes from one or both of the first and second fixtures, and is situated peripheral to the first and second material layers when the first and second fixtures are brought into contact. The stop arrangement defines a cavity adapted to effect compression of the first and second material layers when the first and second fixtures are brought into contact.

Abstract: A planographic printing plate manufacturing method is disclosed which comprises the step of developing a presensitized planographic printing plate with a developer with a pH of from 11.5 to less than 12.5 which does not substantially contain an organic solvent, wherein the presensitized planographic printing plate comprises a support having a roughened hydrophilic surface with a center line average surface roughness Ra of from 0.5 to 0.8 &mgr;m, and provided thereon, a photopolymerizable light sensitive layer and an oxygen shielding layer in that order, the photopolymerizable light sensitive layer containing A) an addition polymerizable monomer having an ethylenic double bond, B) a photopolymerization initiator, C) a sensitizing dye, and D) a polymer binder, and the oxygen shielding layer containing E) polyvinyl alcohol and F) polyvinyl pyrrolidone.

Abstract: A developing method for a photosensitive resin printing plate which can reduce the cost for treating waste liquid by using an aqueous developing liquid not containing surfactant and recycling and reusing the developing liquid. A photosensitive resin printing plate which is hardened in a prescribed pattern by exposure is developed by spraying an aqueous developing liquid comprising either water only or two phases of gas and liquid to a surface of printing plate under a high pressure (water pressure 1 to 30 MPa, gas pressure not lower than 0.1 MPa), a hygroscopic photosensitive resin mixed in a worn-out developing liquid is separated and removed by means of filter or the like, and filtrate is recycled and reused as a developing liquid.

Abstract: A photographic bleach-fixing composition has reduced odor and acceptable storage stability. It comprises an iron-ligand complex bleaching agent, thiosulfate fixing agent, sulfite ions, and a phthalic acid or salt thereof. This bleach-fixing composition can be used in various photographic processing protocols to provide color images from color photographic silver halide materials.

Abstract: A silver halide emulsion improved in radiation resistance is disclosed, comprising tabular grains having an average aspect ratio of 20 to 500 and an average spacing between twin planes of 10 to 160 A, and at least 80% by number of the tabular grains being accounted for by hexagonal tabular grains having an adjacent edge ratio of not less than 1.0 and less than 1.2. There is also disclosed a photographic material comprising a silver halide emulsion layer containing the tabular grains.

Abstract: The invention relates to the development of lithographic printing plates and comprises the application of a thin film of developer solution to each plate in a controlled manner using a jetting printhead which scans the plate to apply the developer solution as the plate is conveyed under the jetting printhead. Sensors and control means activate and deactivate the scanning jetting printhead in response to the presence or absence of a plate. The developer is allowed to dwell on the plate as it is conveyed across a support structure for a sufficient time to allow for percolation into and/or dissolution of the soluble areas of the coating and is then washed off and sent to waste.

Abstract: A silver halide emulsion comprising a silver halide grain having a high silver iodide-containing phase, the surface of the silver halide grain being adsorbed with a substance capable of reducing by 50% or more the light emission intensity at 460 nm attributable to the high silver iodide-containing phase at 77° K.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an ultrahigh contrast photographic material comprising a support bearing a silver halide emulsion layer, containing at least one hydrazide nucleating agent in the emulsion layer and/or a hydrophilic colloid layer, wherein the nucleating agent comprises 2 to 4 hydrazide moieties which are linked directly to one another or to one another by a linking group. The material optionally contains a booster compound in the emulsion layer or hydrophilic colloid layer to enhance the ultrahigh contrast and to promote activity, or a booster compound may be present in the developer solution. The nucleating agents show unexpectedly good nucleation and low sensitivity to variation in development conditions and their synthesis is consistent, efficient and robust.

Abstract: A processing method has been provided for an exposed silver halide black-and-white negative working sound recording film element, said processing method comprising the steps of processing said sound recording film element in a processing apparatus providing processing ability in a daylight environment, said processing method comprising the steps of developing in a time of less than 20 seconds; fixing in a fixer; rinsing and drying; making use of an automatic processing machine, the mentioned processing steps being followed by a step of controlling black-and-white densitometry, therefor providing the processing machine with a densitometer; further recording in a motion picture color print film and processing therein image area frames originating from an exposed and processed color negative recording film and from (an) optical soundtrack(s) originating from a silver halide black-and-white negative working sound recording film element, wherein said film element has been processed, after having been exposed, by t

Abstract: A silver halide emulsion formed of high silver chloride particles, the high silver chloride particles having a continuous outermost layer containing at least 30 mol % of silver bromide, the high silver chloride particles having a silver chloride content of at least 95 mol % and a silver iodide content of 0.05 mol % to 0.75 mol %, wherein the outermost layer has a center portion, the center portion being limited to a region within 10% to 90% of the volume of the outermost layer, the center portion having present therein a compound of a metal from column VIII of the periodic table.

Abstract: A composition for photographic bleaching contains a peracid bleaching agent such as a peroxide, persulfate, or periodate, and a cyclicaminomethanediphosphonic acid or a salt thereof as a stabilizing compound. This bleaching composition can also include a fixing agent, and can be used to provide color photographic images in various color photographic materials.

Abstract: On-press developing method of a lithographic printing plate precursor, the lithographic printing plate precursor comprising an image-forming layer which comprises a hydrophobizing precursor, and the method comprising fountain solution-clarifying means which comprises: aggregating a hydrophobizing precursor mingled in a fountain solution and removing the aggregated hydrophobizing precursor by filtration; or adding a coagulant to a fountain solution and filtering the fountain solution.

Abstract: The present invention is a method of decontaminating a structure contaminated by pathogenic microorganisms such as Bacillus anthracis and its spores, B. subtilis var niger and its spores, and B. stearothermophilus and its spores, comprising the steps of sealing a contaminated structure sufficiently to enable retention of a gas, introducing methyl bromide gas into sealed contaminated structure to a concentration of methyl bromide in an amount sufficient to deactivate said pathogenic microorganisms and disable germination of pathogenic bacteria spores, and maintaining said sealed contaminated structure with said concentration of methyl bromide at a sufficient temperature for a sufficient period of time, and deactivating said pathogenic microorganisms and disabling germination of said pathogenic bacteria spores associated with said contaminated structure. The method is performed approximately in the range of 20° C. to 40° C.

Abstract: A color image forming method is disclosed, comprising exposing a silver halide color photographic material and developing the exposed photographic material at 43 to 180° C. to form a color image, wherein when the photographic material is exposed so that the light-sensitive layer has a transmission density of a minimum density plus 0.1, the light-sensitive layer comprises dye-clouds having an average diameter of 3.0 to 20.0 &mgr;m. There is also disclosed a digital image forming process, wherein image recording information of the photographic material which was formed by use of the color image forming method is converted to digital image information through an image sensor.

Abstract: A method for deriving a color negative film developer composition and processing conditions for developing a photographic film image which is optimized for subsequent digital scanning and digital image file manipulation, which allows for optimum rapid development processing of the film is disclosed.

Abstract: A photographic washing bath comprises a chamber containing a wash solution for a silver halide photographic material having a pH of less than 7 and comprising water having dissolved therein an oxidizing agent, said oxidizing agent having an oxidizing potential of at least 1 volt and being in a concentration of from 0.05 to 2 Molar. The oxidation potential of the oxidizing agent is preferably at least 1.2 volts and may be hydrogen peroxide or a source of hydrogen peroxide, a persulphate, a perborate, a bromate, or an iodate. A washing process using the invention is suitable for being carried out in same chamber as the development and fixing stages in which case hydrogen peroxide is the preferred oxidizing agent because any peroxide remaining at the end of the wash stage can be removed by evaporation, thereby avoiding risk of contamination of the next stage to be carried out in the chamber.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a silver halide color photographic light-sensitive material wherein at least one of light-sensitive silver halide emulsion layers includes a silver halide emulsion having a silver chloride content of at least 95 mol % and a silver iodide content of 0.05 mol % to 0.75 mol % and/or a silver bromide content of 0.05 mol % to 4.00 mol % and further at least one compound represented by the following formula (I): X—(L)n—Y  Formula (I) wherein X represents a group adsorptive to a silver halide, L represents a divalent connecting group comprising one of an atom and an atomic group including at least one of a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, a sulfur atom and an oxygen atom, Y denotes a reducible group and n denotes an integer of 0 or 1.

Abstract: A photosensitive media cartridge includes an ambient condition sensor mounted in the cartridge for sensing ambient conditions in the cartridge. When the cartridge is positioned at a media transfer position on an image-forming device that permits the conveyance of media from the cartridge to the image-forming device, image development or printing on the media in the image-forming device is controlled based on the sensed ambient conditions in the cartridge. The ambient condition sensor includes a cover layer and a conductive layer, wherein a rate of response to ambient conditions of the cover layer matches rate of response to ambient conditions of the photosensitive media to be developed. As a further option, the media itself can include a conductive layer so that the media can be the sensor.

Abstract: A silver ion sequester and release agent is described which comprises a silver ion exchangeable material of the formula: M(H1−x−yAgxM′yPO4)2.nH2O; where M is Zr, Ti, Sn, Ge or Hf or any combination thereof; M′ is an Alkali or alkaline earth metal; x is a number from 0.10 to 0.80; y is a number from 0.15 to 0.85; (x+y) is a number from 0.25 to 0.95; and n is a rational number between 0 and 10. Processes for preparing such silver ion sequester and release agent material are also described comprising combining in an aqueous medium a crystalline or amorphous metal hydrogen phosphate ion exchange host material of the formula M(HPO4)2.nH2O with less than 2 molar equivalents of silver ions relative to the amount of ion exchange host material such that silver ions are exchanged for protons in the host material, and adding a base compound to the aqueous medium to achieve a pH of at least 4.4 and sequester at least 95% of the combined silver ions into the host material.

Abstract: A photographic processing composition for silver halide color photographic lightsensitive material, comprising at least one compound represented by the formula (I): A1—X—L—Y—A2  (I) wherein each of A1 and A2 independently represents an aryl group or an aromatic heterocyclic group, L represents an aromatic heterocyclic group, with the proviso that a triazine ring is not represented thereby, and each of X and Y independently represents O, S or NR1, wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, with the proviso that the molecule of the formula (I) has a substituent containing at least one of —OH, —CO2M and —SO3M groups, wherein M represents a hydrogen atom, an alkali metal, an alkaline earth metal, an ammonium or a pyridinium, and provided that the molecule of the formula (I) has no azo group.