Abstract: A method for producing a microbial oil includes steps of: genetically modifying a labyrinthulid by disrupting and/or silencing a gene, or by transforming another gene in addition to the disruption and/or gene silencing of the gene, and culturing the labyrinthulid, such that a fatty acid composition accumulated in the labyrinthulid comprises an increased EPA content; and collecting the microbial oil having the increased EPA content from the labyrinthulid. The labyrinthulid before the modification is selected from (A) a labyrinthulid belonging to the genus Parietichytrium or genus Schizochytrium and having very weak or no activity of producing PUFAs via a PUFA-PKS pathway; and (B) a labyrinthulid belonging to the genus Thraustochytrium in which a host PUFA-PKS gene is disrupted or silenced to a very weak level. The increased EPA content is preferably not less than 11.5% of a total fatty acid composition.

Abstract: In a coloring ultraviolet protective agent, the average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range from 200 nm to 380 nm is increased, and the color characteristics in the visible region are controlled. The coloring ultraviolet protective agent is useful for shielding ultraviolet rays and coloring.

Abstract: A used paper recycling apparatus includes a defibration unit that defibrates used paper to generate a defibrated product, an accumulation unit that accumulates the defibrated product to form a web, a sheet forming unit that forms a sheet by applying at least one of heating and compression to the web, a cutting unit that cuts the sheet into a predetermined length, and an optical sensor that is provided at an exit of the sheet forming unit and that measures density information of the sheet.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing organic material microparticles and a method for modifying organic material microparticles, whereby it becomes possible to improve the crystallinity of organic material microparticles or achieve the crystal transformation of the organic material microparticles while preventing the growth of the organic material microparticles in a solvent. A surfactant is added to a solvent that is capable of partially dissolving organic material microparticles, and then the organic material microparticles are reacted with the solvent. In this manner, it becomes possible to improve the degree of crystallization of the organic material microparticles or achieve the crystal transformation of the organic material microparticles without substantially altering the particle diameters of the organic material microparticles.

Abstract: Provided are a method for producing organic material microparticles and a method for modifying organic material microparticles, whereby it becomes possible to improve the crystallinity of organic material microparticles or achieve the crystal transformation of the organic material microparticles while preventing the growth of the organic material microparticles in a solvent. A surfactant is added to a solvent that is capable of partially dissolving organic material microparticles, and then the organic material microparticles are reacted with the solvent. In this manner, it becomes possible to improve the degree of crystallization of the organic material microparticles or achieve the crystal transformation of the organic material microparticles without substantially altering the particle diameters of the organic material microparticles.

Abstract: A method of producing an ultraviolet protective agent composition, which has high transparency and excellent protection ability against a light of ultraviolet region of wavelengths of 200 to 420 nm, and an ultraviolet protective agent composition obtained by the production method are provided. The method of producing an ultraviolet protective agent composition includes at least step (a) of precipitating iron oxide microparticles by mixing with a microreactor an iron oxide raw material fluid containing at least Fe3+ ion, and an iron oxide precipitation fluid containing at least a basic substance; and step (b) of dispersing the above precipitated iron oxide microparticles in a dispersion medium to obtain iron oxide microparticle dispersion, wherein a haze value of the iron oxide microparticle dispersion is 2.0% or less, and a transmittance of the iron oxide microparticle dispersion for the light of the wavelengths of 200 to 420 nm is 2.0% or less.

Abstract: A method of producing an organic pigment composition including at least organic pigment microparticles, wherein a diffuse reflectance of the organic pigment microparticles is controlled for the purpose of improving a luminance of a color filter. The luminance of the color filter is controlled to be high, by controlling a ratio of an area of the diffuse reflectance in a target wavelength range to a total area of the diffuse reflectance in the entire measurement wavelength range in a diffuse reflection spectrum of the organic pigment microparticles in the wavelength range of 380 to 780 nm, to be high. The luminance of the color filter is controlled to be high, by coating at least a part of the surface of the organic pigment microparticles with an oxide.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide silicon doped metal oxide particles for UV absorption, which average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 380 nm, is enhanced. Provided is silicon doped metal oxide particles in which the metal oxide particles are doped with silicon, wherein an average molar absorption coefficient in the wavelength range of 200 nm to 380 nm, of a dispersion in which the silicon doped metal oxide particles are dispersed in a dispersion medium, is improved as compared with similar metal oxide particles not doped with silicon.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a control unit configured to detect occurrence or non-occurrence of multi-sheet feed of a medium based on a reception level signal output by a reception unit in accordance with the received ultrasonic wave. The control unit, after a tip of the medium reaches the positions of the reception unit in a transport path, when the reception level signal is below a predetermined threshold, causes the driving voltage to rise, when an amount of change in the reception level signal in accordance with the rise in the driving voltage is smaller than a reference amount of change, determines that multi-sheet feed is ongoing, and when the amount of change in the reception level signal in accordance with the rise in the driving voltage is greater than the reference amount of change, determines that multi-sheet feed is not ongoing.

Abstract: Acetic acid is manufactured by a method of carbonylating raw material with carbon monoxide, the method comprising: a reaction step of forming a reaction mixture containing acetic acid inside a reactor; and a purification step of purifying the reaction mixture to thereby obtain product acetic acid. The purification step includes: a flash evaporation step of separating the reaction mixture into a vapor-phase mixture and a liquid-phase mixture; a first distillation step of distilling the vapor-phase mixture to thereby separate and remove low-boiling point components and obtain crude acetic acid; and a second distillation step of introducing the crude acetic acid into a heavy ends column and distilling the crude acetic acid to thereby purify the crude acetic acid and obtain product acetic acid. In the second distillation step, the low-boiling point components remaining in the crude acetic acid are drawn out from a column top of the heavy ends column.

Abstract: A light-emitting layer of a light-emitting element contains halogen ligands and organic ligands coordinated to each of quantum dots. The light-emitting layer includes: a first region toward a hole-transport layer; and a second region toward an electron-transport layer. In the first region, a concentration of the halogen ligands is higher than a concentration of the organic ligands, and, in the second region, the concentration of the halogen ligands is lower than the concentration of the organic ligands.

Abstract: A light-emitting element includes: an electron transport layer; a hole transport layer; and a light-emitting layer between the electron transport layer and the hole transport layer, the light-emitting layer including: quantum dots; and ligands coordinated to the quantum dots, wherein the ligands in the light-emitting layer have a lower concentration on an electron transport layer side of the light-emitting layer than on a hole transport layer side of the light-emitting layer.

Abstract: A method for producing a microbial oil includes the steps of: genetically modifying a labyrinthulid by disrupting and/or silencing a gene, or by transforming another gene in addition to the disruption and/or gene silencing of the gene; culturing the labyrinthulid, such that a fatty acid composition accumulated in the labyrinthulid comprises an increased EPA content; and collecting the microbial oil having the increased EPA content from the labyrinthulid. The increased EPA content is not less than 3.3% of a total fatty acid composition.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a control unit configured to detect occurrence or non-occurrence of multi-sheet feed of a medium based on a reception level signal output by a reception unit in accordance with the received ultrasonic wave. The control unit, after a tip of the medium reaches the positions of the reception unit in a transport path, when the reception level signal is below a predetermined threshold, causes the driving voltage to rise, when an amount of change in the reception level signal in accordance with the rise in the driving voltage is smaller than a reference amount of change, determines that multi-sheet feed is ongoing, and when the amount of change in the reception level signal in accordance with the rise in the driving voltage is greater than the reference amount of change, determines that multi-sheet feed is not ongoing.

Abstract: Provided is a stretchable circuit board including a stretchable insulating layer, and a wiring, in which the wiring is formed of a combination of a metal wiring portion that forms a main portion of the wiring, and a conductive stretchable portion disposed ancillary to the metal wiring portion.

Abstract: The present invention relates to silicon coated metal microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a metal microparticle composed of at least one of metal elements or metalloid elements is coated with silicon, wherein the silicon coated metal microparticles are a product obtained by a reduction treatment of silicon compound coated precursor microparticles in which at least a part of a surface of a precursor microparticle containing a precursor of the metal microparticles is coated with a silicon compound, or silicon doped precursor microparticles containing a precursor of the metal microparticles. Because it is possible particularly to strictly control a particle diameter of the silicon compound coated metal microparticle by controlling conditions of the reduction treatment, design of a more appropriate composition can become facilitated, compared with a conventional composition, in terms of diversified usages and desired properties of silicon compound coated metal microparticles.

Abstract: With an aim to provide a method for producing an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics and also provide an oxide particle with controlled color characteristics, the present invention provides a method for producing an oxide particle, wherein the color characteristics of the oxide particle are controlled by controlling a ratio of an M-OH bond between an element (M) and a hydroxide group (OH) or an M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio, where the element (M) is one element or plural different elements other than oxygen or hydrogen included in the oxide particle selected from metal oxide particles and semi-metal oxide particles. According to the present invention, by controlling the M-OH bond or the M-OH bond/M-O bond ratio of the metal oxide particle or the semi-metal oxide particle, the oxide particle with controlled color characteristics of any of reflectance, transmittance, molar absorption coefficient, hue, and saturation can be provided.

Abstract: A method for producing a microbial oil includes steps of: genetically modifying a labyrinthulid by disrupting and/or silencing a gene, or by transforming another gene in addition to the disruption and/or gene silencing of the gene, and culturing the labyrinthulid, such that a fatty acid composition accumulated in the labyrinthulid comprises an increased EPA content; and collecting the microbial oil having the increased EPA content from the labyrinthulid. The labyrinthulid before the modification is selected from (A) a labyrinthulid belonging to the genus Parietichytrium or genus Schizochytrium and having very weak or no activity of producing PUFAs via a PUFA-PKS pathway; and (B) a labyrinthulid belonging to the genus Thraustochytrium in which a host PUFA-PKS gene is disrupted or silenced to a very weak level. The increased EPA content is preferably not less than 11.5% of a total fatty acid composition.

Abstract: The purpose of the present invention is to provide novel solid gold-nickel alloy nanoparticles and a production method thereof. Provided are solid gold-nickel alloy nanoparticles having a particle diameter of 500 nm or less. In particular, gold-nickel alloy nanoparticle are provided in which the concentration of nickel in the gold-nickel alloy is 2.0-92.7 wt %, and the main component is a gold-nickel alloy in which gold and nickel are in a nano-level fine mixed state. The gold-nickel alloy particles have as the main component a substitutional solid solution of gold and nickel. These gold-nickel alloy particles are optimally formed by mixing and discharging gold ions, and a substance having reducing characteristics in the thin film fluid occurring between processing surfaces which are arranged facing each other, which can move towards and away from each other, and at least one of which rotates relative to the other.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus has: electrodes that come into contact with a medium during transport; charge detection circuits, each of which corresponds to one of the electrodes; a reader, and a controller. The controller executes inclination inference processing for calculating the inclination of the medium with respect to a transport path as an inferred inclination value according to a signal from each charge detection circuit, inclination detection processing for deriving the inclination of the medium with respect to the transport path as a detected inclination value according to the result of reading by the reader, and correction value deriving processing for storing a correction value based on the difference between the detected inclination value and the inferred inclination value in a storage section. In inclination inference processing with the correction value stored in the storage section, the inferred inclination value is calculated in consideration of the correction value.