Abstract: An assistance method comprising steps of: acquiring information related to a process or a reduced system when the process to be performed in a plant is performed in the reduced system with a smaller scale than the plant; and generating at least a part of a model for predicting a process to be performed in the plant, or an intermediate system with a scale between the plant and the reduced system, based on a relationship between systems when the process is performed in a plurality of systems of different scales, from the information.

Abstract: A liquid crystal element includes two substrates with a transparent conductive film, the substrates being arranged such that transparent conductive films face each other, and a liquid crystal-polymer composite film which is sandwiched between the two substrates with a transparent conductive film, in which the liquid crystal-polymer composite film contains an acetylene alcohol.

Abstract: To provide a conductive connector that is easy to manufacture and has a low disconnection risk. This conductive connector comprising a non-conductive elastic body and a reticulated fiber body comprising a covered region with a surface covered by metal is manufactured through the covering of the periphery of the non-conductive elastic body with the reticulated fiber body such that the reticulated fiber body is in a C-shape. The reticulated fiber body has, for example, alternatingly arranged uncovered regions not covered with metal and covered regions.

Abstract: A cooling system for an internal combustion engine is a cooling system for an internal combustion engine mounted on a vehicle. It is equipped with an air conditioner which is mounted on the vehicle and has a heat exchanger, a first passage which is connected to the heat exchanger and supplies cooling water of the internal combustion engine to the heat exchanger, a second passage which is connected to a cooling apparatus for oil which fills a speed change mechanism connected to the internal combustion engine or for oil which fills the internal combustion engine and which supplies the cooling water to the cooling apparatus, a flow control valve which is configured to control the flow rate of the cooling water to the first passage and the second passage, and a controller which is configured to control the internal combustion engine and the flow control valve.

Abstract: A heat treatment furnace apparatus according to an embodiment heats, when a metal plate is brazed to a ceramic substrate, at least one storage container made of stainless steel, in which a plurality of ceramic metal substrates are stored, to subject the plurality of ceramic metal substrates to a heat treatment at 600 degrees Celsius or more and less than 950 degrees Celsius. The heat treatment furnace apparatus includes: a heater provided outside a furnace body; a rail section that transports the storage container placed inside the furnace body; and a transport device that transports the storage container placed on the rail section in a predetermined transport direction along the rail section while moving the storage container in a direction perpendicular to the rail section.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: an endless belt; a fixing section that forms a fixing nip by being in contact with the belt; and a pressing section that is disposed inside of the belt, has a shape following an outer peripheral shape of the fixing section, includes a holding portion that holds an elastic member, and presses the belt against the fixing section. The elastic member has a shape along the holding portion due to deformation in a state of not being pressed against the fixing section.

Abstract: A fixing device includes: a fixing unit that fixes an image on a medium; a guide unit that guides the medium, the guide unit being disposed downstream of the fixing unit in a transport direction of the medium; and a cleaner entrance portion through which a cleaning unit enters a gap between the fixing unit and the guide unit, the cleaner entrance portion being provided corresponding to the gap.

Abstract: A ceramic ball material according to an embodiment includes a spherical portion; and a band-shaped portion formed over a circumference of a surface of the spherical portion. The ceramic ball material has a ratio R1/R2 of 0.3 or more and less than 1.0, where R1 denotes a surface roughness of an end portion of the band-shaped portion; and R2 denotes a surface roughness of a center portion of the band-shaped portion.

Abstract: A ceramic ball material according to an embodiment includes a spherical portion; and a band-shaped portion formed over a circumference of a surface of the spherical portion. In the ceramic ball material, the ceramic ball material has a ratio Rab/Rap of 0.70 or more and 1.03 or less, where Rab denotes an arithmetic average roughness on an outer peripheral surface of the band-shaped portion; and Rap denotes an arithmetic average roughness on an outer peripheral surface of the spherical portion.

Abstract: A switching mechanism 110 can perform switching to a pressurized state in which gas is supplied from a pipe 203 to an insertion tube 101, or a derivation state in which gas in a head space 23 that is pressurized is derived from the insertion tube 101 to the pipe 207 via a collection unit 104. The switching mechanism 110 includes a discharge valve 103 that puts the insertion tube 101 and the pipe 207 into a non-communication state in the pressurized state and puts the insertion tube 101 and the pipe 207 into a communication state in the derivation state. A resistance pipe 206 supplies gas to a channel between the collection unit 104 and the discharge valve 103 in the derivation state.

Abstract: An environmental load information cooperation system, which supports management on an environmental load caused when remanufacturing a recycled product using a recyclable part, stores processing information accumulated by associating information indicating recycling processing in each of processes for recycling the recyclable part, information indicating a processing purpose corresponding to the recycling processing, and information indicating an environmental load caused by the recycling processing, with a recycling identifier and a part type of the recyclable part; extracts, from the processing information, a permutation of one or more types of recycling processing performed consecutively on the recyclable part corresponding to the target part type in remanufacturing the recycled product, as a processing pattern for each processing purpose; gives a priority to the processing pattern based on a representative value of the environmental load for each processing purpose; and presents analysis result informatio

Abstract: A circuit device includes: a first phase comparison circuit including a sampling circuit that samples a feedback signal based on a reference clock signal; a first charge pump circuit configured to output a current corresponding to a sampling voltage; a second phase comparison circuit including a dead zone detection circuit that detects whether a phase difference between the reference clock signal and a feedback clock signal falls within a dead zone, and configured to output a phase difference signal when the phase difference does not fall within the dead zone; a second charge pump circuit; and a clock signal generation circuit configured to generate the clock signal having a frequency controlled based on an output of the first charge pump circuit or the second charge pump circuit. The second charge pump circuit is set disabled or in a low power consumption mode in a dead zone period.

Abstract: An information processing device including a processor that acquires an operating parameter regarding a reaction device that performs a predetermined chemical reaction and information regarding a substance used in the chemical reaction in the reaction device, the information processing device determines a parameter of a first reaction state predicted as the reaction state of the substance when the chemical reaction is performed with the operating parameter in the reaction device, the information processing device learns a prediction model that outputs a parameter of a second reaction state that is a reaction state of the substance in response to inputting information regarding the substance and the operating parameter by using the acquired information regarding the substance, the acquired operating parameter and the parameter of the first reaction state as learning data, and the information processing device stores the learned prediction model in a storage unit.

Abstract: [Object] To provide an image capturing apparatus and an image capturing method that can accurately capture an image of a sample irrespective of the presence or absence of thermal expansion by the sample. [Solving Means] An image capturing apparatus includes a table, a chuck having a back surface secured to the table and a front surface for holding a sample under suction, a temperature sensor that obtains a temperature of the chuck, a column that captures an image of the sample mounted on the chuck, a mirror provided on the table, a laser interferometer that emits laser light onto the mirror and measures a distance to the mirror, and a control unit that calculates an amount of position correction for an image capturing location on the basis of the temperature of the chuck.

Abstract: [Problem] Provided is a continuous assemblage of pots for continuous transplanting capable of handling a seedling crop that requires a wide interval between plants, facilitated in manufacture, and reduced in manufacturing cost, and a method for manufacturing the assemblage. [Solution] A link piece 3 is formed by folding back both sides in a width direction of a strip-shaped sheet onto an identical face by one-sixth of a width of the sheet, using a water-soluble adhesive 21 to attach folded back inner faces, folding back the sheet onto an opposite side of the folding back by a width same as the folded back width, and using the water-soluble adhesive 21 to attach folded back inner faces.

Abstract: A test jig has a contact surface that is brought into contact with an imaging surface of a skin pattern input device, and a groove portion that is provided on the contact surface and connected to the outer edge of the contact surface.

Abstract: A gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer includes a gas chromatograph having a column that separates a sample into components, a mass spectrometer provided in a vacuum housing, and an interface that introduces a sample that has been separated into components in the gas chromatograph into the mass spectrometer, and the interface includes a partition wall fixed to the vacuum housing to close an opening formed in the vacuum housing, a line pipe that is fixed to the partition wall to penetrate the partition wall, includes a sample outlet line of the column and introduces the sample into the mass spectrometer, a heater that heats the line pipe in an axial direction, and a fixer that fixes the heater being in contact with the partition wall.

Abstract: A time measuring device comprises a signal generating circuit configured to generate a plurality of reference signals in an equivalent cycle with different phases; a first counter configured to output a fine count value, using a plurality of first pulse signals obtained from the plurality of reference signals; a second counter configured to output a coarse count value, using a plurality of second pulse signals obtained from the plurality of reference signals and having frequencies lower than frequencies of the plurality of first pulse signals; and a control unit configured to determine whether to correct the coarse count value in accordance with the fine count value and the coarse count value latched with a latch signal, and, if the coarse count value needs to be corrected, configured to calculate a bin number, using the fine count value and a coarse correction value obtained by correcting the coarse count value.

Abstract: A light detector includes a SPAD; a resistor component; a switch element; and a control circuit configured to control the switch element to discharge or charge a first node. In response to a change in a potential of the first node from a first potential to a second potential, the control circuit turns on the switch element until a second period elapses after a lapse of a first period measured from the change to the second potential, or until the potential of the first node changes back to the first potential during the second period, and the control circuit turns off the switch element upon a lapse of the second period without the potential of the first node changing back to the first potential, and the control circuit turns on the switch element again after a lapse of a third period measured from the turning off of the switch element.

Abstract: A distance measuring apparatus includes: a light-emitting portion that transmits a plurality of light-emitting pulse signals corresponding to a plurality of pulsed light beams; an object light-receiving portion that transmits a plurality of object pulse signals corresponding to a plurality of object pulsed light beams; a time-to-digital converter that converts a light-emitting timing of the plurality of light-emitting pulse signals and an object light-receiving timing of the plurality of object pulse signals into digital values; and a histogram-generating-and-distance-calculating unit that generates an object histogram that has a horizontal axis representing a difference between the digital value of the object light-receiving timing and the digital value of the light-emitting timing and that calculates a distance to the distance-measurement object, based on a center of gravity of the object histogram, wherein the light-emitting portion emits the plurality of pulsed light beams at a random interval correspondi