Abstract: An ink composition includes (component A) a polymer that has a group containing a silsesquioxane structure and has a weight average molecular weight of 3,000 or more, (component B) a monofunctional polymerizable compound, and (component C) a polymerization initiator; or an ink composition includes (component A?) a compound that does not have an ethylenically unsaturated double bond but has a silsesquioxane structure, and has a molecular weight of 300 or more but less than 3,000, (component B?) a monofunctional polymerizable compound, (component C) a polymerization initiator, and (component D) a coloring agent, wherein a content of the (component B?) monofunctional polymerizable compound with respect to the total content of all the polymerizable compounds is 80% by mass or more.

Abstract: The disclosure provides a liquid crystalline compound that has at least one of physical properties such as high stability with respect to heat and light, a high clearing point (or a high upper limit temperature), a low lower limit temperature of a liquid crystal phase, a low viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy, large negative dielectric anisotropy, a suitable elastic constant, favorable compatibility with other liquid crystalline compounds at room temperature and low temperatures, a liquid crystal composition including the compound, and a liquid crystal display element including the composition. The compound is represented by Formula (1). Here, R1 is an alkyl group having 2 to 10 carbon atoms in which one —CH2CH2— is substituted with —CH?CH—; R2 is an alkyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms; ring A1 is 1,4-cyclohexylene; Y1 and Y2 are hydrogen or fluorine; Z1 is a single bond; and n1 is 1 or 2.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes applying allantoin to a plant; exposing the plant to a temperature of about 30° C. or more for at least about 60 minutes; and growing the plant in a cultivation medium.

Abstract: The method includes in order: forming an intermediate image by applying the aqueous ink to a transfer body; transferring the intermediate image by bringing the intermediate image into contact with the recording medium; and cleaning the transfer body by applying an aqueous cleaning liquid to the transfer body, and if necessary, further includes applying an aqueous reaction liquid containing a reactant which reacts with the aqueous ink to the transfer body, wherein at least one of the aqueous ink and the reaction liquid contains a resin particle (however, when not including the applying of the reaction liquid, the aqueous ink contains the resin particle), and the cleaning liquid contains a first water-soluble organic solvent having an SP value [unit: (J/cm3)1/2] of 17.0 or more to 29.0 or less.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of the present invention, a printing apparatus capable of collecting a liquid applied to a transfer member efficiently and maintaining the state of the transfer member satisfactorily is provided. More specifically, an inkjet printing apparatus of an intermediate transfer type using a transfer member includes two supplying rollers each applying a liquid to a region on the transfer member after an image is transferred to a print medium, and a collection roller that rotates in contact with the transfer member and collects the applied liquid.

Abstract: According to an embodiment of this invention, a printing apparatus capable of cleaning a transfer member continuously while downsizing the apparatus and a cleaning method of the same are provided. The printing apparatus includes a cleaning roller configured to apply a cleaning liquid to the transfer member while rotating in contact with the transfer member, a liquid tank configured to reserve the cleaning liquid so that a part of the cleaning roller is immersed in the cleaning liquid, and a removal unit configured to remove a blot by contacting the surface of the cleaning roller which rotates in the liquid tank.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transfer drum configured to be rotationally driven, transfer sections arranged on a peripheral surface of the transfer drum and configured to move cyclically on a circular orbit by rotation of the transfer drum, a print unit configured to form an ink image on the transfer section, a liquid absorbing sheet configured to absorb a liquid component from the ink image on the transfer section before a transfer operation of transferring the ink image formed on the transfer section to a print medium, and a driving unit configured to move the liquid absorbing sheet cyclically. A peripheral length of the liquid absorbing sheet corresponds to an integer multiple or an integer fraction of a peripheral length of the circular orbit.

Abstract: A printing apparatus includes a transfer drum, transfer sections arranged on a peripheral surface of the drum and moving cyclically on a circular orbit by rotation of the drum, a print unit, a liquid absorbing sheet of a peripheral length corresponding to an integer multiple or an integer fraction of a peripheral length of the circular orbit and absorbing a liquid component from the ink image, a driving unit moving the liquid absorbing sheet cyclically, a displacing unit displacing the liquid absorbing sheet between a contact state and a retracted state, and a control unit controlling, when displacing again the liquid absorbing sheet to the contact state, the driving unit so as to change combinations of the transfer sections and regions of the liquid absorbing sheet that respectively contact the transfer sections at a liquid absorbing position.

Abstract: A printing apparatus according to an embodiment of this invention brings, out of a cleaning unit that cleans a transfer member in contact with a transfer member and an application unit that applies a reactive liquid with ink to the transfer member, the cleaning unit into contact with the transfer member to clean the transfer member by the cleaning unit at the start of the printing operation. Alternatively, out of the application unit and an absorbing unit that absorbs a liquid component from the reactive liquid applied by the application unit in contact with the transfer member, the printing apparatus brings the application unit into contact with the transfer member to apply the reactive liquid by the application unit.

Abstract: The present invention addresses the problem of providing: a core-shell catalyst capable of achieving, when evaluated for a fuel cell, the catalytic activity anticipated from the catalyst activity value obtained using a rotating disc electrode (RDE); and a method for activating a core-shell catalyst in said manner. The present invention relates to a fuel cell catalyst, which is an electrode catalyst having a core-shell structure and is characterized in that at least 99% of the core member is covered by the shell member and the halogen content is not more than 5000 ppm. The present invention also relates to a method for activating said core-shell catalyst, the method comprising: a process for dispersing the core-shell catalyst in a dispersion solvent; a process for separating impurities from said core-shell catalyst by blowing a gas that has reducing properties or a mixed gas comprising same into said dispersion solvent; and a process for removing said impurities.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus including: an image forming unit that forms a first image containing a first liquid and a coloring material on a transfer body; and a liquid absorbing device including a liquid absorbing member having a porous body coming in contact with the first image to at least partially absorb the first liquid from the first image, and a cleaning member coming in contact with the porous body to clean the porous body wherein surface free energy Y1 of the transfer body, surface free energy Y2 of the porous body, surface free energy Y3 of the cleaning member, and a dispersion force component Yd of surface free energy of the first image satisfy the following Equation (1): |Yd,?Y3|<|Yd,?Y1|<|Yd,?Y2|??(1).

Abstract: A liquid holding amount of a porous body of a liquid absorbing member for removing at least a portion of an aqueous liquid component from an image obtained by ink jet printing is controlled so as to reduce damage to the porous body while maintaining performance of removing attached matters from the porous body by using a cleaning member which abuts on the porous body and has an adhesive force.

Abstract: When a porous body is repeatedly used to perform treatment of absorbing and removing an aqueous liquid component on an image which is formed using a reaction liquid and an ink and contains the aqueous liquid component and a coloring material, recovery treatment for applying a recovery liquid to the porous body is performed, the recovery liquid having a viscosity lower than a viscosity of the reaction liquid and the ink.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes: applying allantoin to a grapevine; and growing the grapevine in a cultivation medium. Applying the allantoin may be performed at a veraison stage of the grapevine. Allantoin may be applied to a part of the grapevine that is above the cultivation medium at a dose of about 0.05 to 5 g per grapevine, and may be applied by spraying the allantoin on leaves or fruits of the grapevine at a dose of about 0.05 to 5 g per grapevine. The grapevine may be grown at a density of about 1,500 to 10,000 per hectare, and about 0.1 to 13 g/m2 of the allantoin may be applied.

Abstract: On a conveyance path of a liquid absorbing member including a porous body, a liquid absorbing unit 2 that absorbs a first liquid from a first image, a recovery liquid applying unit 3 that applies a recovery liquid to the porous body absorbing the liquid and a liquid collecting unit 4 that collects a liquid component absorbed by the porous body are arranged in this order, and a cleaning unit 5 that brings a cleaning member into contact with the conveyance path of the porous body is disposed at least between the liquid absorbing unit and the recovery liquid applying unit or between the liquid collecting unit and the liquid absorbing unit.

Abstract: Reaction liquid application S1 to an ink receiving medium, formation of a first image by ink application S2, liquid absorption S3 from the first image by a porous body of a liquid absorbing member, cleaning S4 of the porous body, and liquid collection S5 from the porous body are repeated in an inkjet printing method. When the porous body comes into contact with the first image, first chemical species in the reaction liquid contributing to increasing the ink viscosity is contained, on the ink receiving medium and in the porous body, at a higher level in terms of molar equivalent per unit area than second chemical species in the ink also contributing to increasing the ink viscosity. In the liquid collection S5, the liquid is collected so that the liquid remains in the porous body on the side to be brought into contact with the first image.

Abstract: A method for cultivating a plant includes applying allantoin to a plant; exposing the plant to a temperature of about 30° C. or more for at least about 60 minutes; and growing the plant in a cultivation medium.

Abstract: Shown are a liquid crystal composition satisfying at least one of characteristics such as high maximum temperature, low minimum temperature, low viscosity, suitable optical anisotropy and large negative dielectric anisotropy, or having a suitable balance regarding at least two of the characteristics, and an AM device including the composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a specific compound having large negative dielectric anisotropy as a first component, and a specific compound having low viscosity as a second component, and may contain a specific compound having negative dielectric anisotropy as a third component, a specific compound having high maximum temperature or low viscosity as a fourth component, or a specific compound having a polymerizable group as an additive.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head having a nozzle arrangement region in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink is arranged, and a cleaning unit configured to perform cleaning operation on the recording head. A control unit is configured to control the cleaning unit and a change operation for changing relative position relation between a region where the record medium passes and the nozzle arrangement region. The control unit acquires end passage positions in a first recording operation before the change operation is performed, and a passage region in a second recording operation after the change operation is performed. The control unit performs control for executing the cleaning operation in a case where the end passage position is included in the passage region.

Abstract: An ink jet recording apparatus includes a recording head having a nozzle arrangement region in which a plurality of nozzles for discharging ink is arranged, and a cleaning unit configured to perform cleaning operation on the recording head. A control unit is configured to control the cleaning unit and a change operation for changing relative position relation between a region where the record medium passes and the nozzle arrangement region. The control unit acquires end passage positions in a first recording operation before the change operation is performed, and a passage region in a second recording operation after the change operation is performed. The control unit performs control for executing the cleaning operation in a case where the end passage position is included in the passage region.