Abstract: There are provided an inkjet printing apparatus and an inkjet printing method, whereby, the temperature of a print head is controlled and the ejection volume of ink to be ejected is stabilized to print a high-quality image, even at a high printing duty. Based on print data, an ejection number of ink to be ejected into a unit printing area is counted. The print head is heated to a target temperature that is raised in consonance with an increase in the count value.

Abstract: A method of controlling a wavelength-tunable laser selecting an oscillation wavelength with a combination of a plurality of wavelength selection portions of which wavelength peak is different from each other, comprising: a first step of confirming a control direction of the wavelength selection portion in a case where a setting value is changed from a first setting value for achieving the first wavelength to a second setting value for achieving the second wavelength; a second step of setting a setting value that is shifted from the second setting value in a direction that is opposite of a pre-determined changing direction on the wavelength selection portion as a prepared setting value, when the control direction confirmed in the first step is opposite to the pre-determined changing direction; and a third step of changing the prepared setting value set in the second step to the second setting value.

Abstract: A printing apparatus comprising, a printhead including an element array in which a plurality of printing elements are arrayed, scanning unit configured to reciprocally scan the printhead, driving unit configured to time-divisionally drive the printing elements, conveyance unit configured to convey a printing medium, and setting unit configured to set a driving order, wherein the conveyance unit performs a first conveyance operation of conveying the printing medium by a conveyance amount which is an integer multiple of a width of the group of the time-divisional driving, and a second conveyance operation of conveying the printing medium by a conveyance amount which is not an integer multiple of the width of the group, and the setting unit sets the driving order in the time-divisional driving for each scan based on the conveyance amount by the conveyance unit.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a recording apparatus is provided which is capable of recording a plurality of patterns, on a recording medium, for detecting an amount of displacement between a recording position of a first discharge port array and a recording position of a second discharge port array in a conveyance direction and acquiring an amount of inclination based on the amount of displacement without conveying the recording medium.

Abstract: The present invention provides a screening method for determining whether a substance of interest is a substance which alters GPR120 mediated cell stimulating activities, comprising using a substance of interest, a biomembrane containing GPR120, or cells containing said biomembrane, and phospholipase or salts thereof. According to a screening method of the present invention, the method can screen substances such as CCK and GLP-1 which are involved in the secretion of hormones in gastrointestinal tracts.

Abstract: An inkjet recording apparatus includes a recording head, a cap, and a preliminary discharge unit. The recording head can discharge a plurality of types of ink. The cap caps a discharge port face of the recording head. The preliminary discharge unit causes the recording head to execute a preliminary discharge. The preliminary discharge unit changes a preliminary discharge operation according to a length of time during which the discharge port face is capped by the cap.

Abstract: An ink-jet recording device is capable of correcting a recording position due to a leaning of a printing head and correcting of driving timing between multiple printing heads. Each nozzle row of a printing head is classified into multiple nozzle groups, and the driving timing of the nozzle groups other than the nozzle group serving as a reference of correction of the multiple nozzle groups is adjustable to correct for any leaning of the printing head. Moreover, in the event of performing the driving timing between printing heads, the driving timing of a non-reference printing head is adjustable relative to a reference printing head employed for leaning correction of multiple printing heads.

Abstract: Degradation in image quality due to disturbance in landing positions of satellites is suppressed. When scanning and printing with a printing head which has a first nozzle array ejecting relatively large ejection amount of ink, a second nozzle array arranged on one side of the first nozzle array in a scan direction and a third nozzle array arranged on the other side of the first nozzle array in the scan direction, the second and third nozzle arrays ejecting a relatively small ejection amount of ink with the same color, a printing rate of one of the second and third nozzle arrays located at the front side in the scan direction is controlled lower than that of the other located at the back side.

Abstract: A method of controlling a wavelength-tunable laser selecting an oscillation wavelength with a combination of a plurality of wavelength selection portions of which wavelength peak is different from each other, comprising: a first step of confirming a control direction of the wavelength selection portion in a case where a setting value is changed from a first setting value for achieving the first wavelength to a second setting value for achieving the second wavelength; a second step of setting a setting value that is shifted from the second setting value in a direction that is opposite of a pre-determined changing direction on the wavelength selection portion as a prepared setting value, when the control direction confirmed in the first step is opposite to the pre-determined changing direction; and a third step of changing the prepared setting value set in the second step to the second setting value.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an information management unit, at least one image forming unit, an authenticating unit, a determining unit, an adding unit, a notifying unit, and a controller. The information management unit stores and manages print information. Each image forming unit forms an image on a recording medium in accordance with the print information. The authenticating unit authenticates a recipient of an output result of the image forming unit. The determining unit determines whether or not the print information requires authentication. The adding unit adds authentication information about the recipient to the print information when the print information requires authentication. The notifying unit notifies the recipient of information regarding the print information with the authentication information added. The controller controls the information management unit to transmit the print information to the image forming unit to form an image when the recipient has been successfully authenticated.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an information management unit, a determining unit, and at least one image forming unit. The information management unit stores and manages print information. The determining unit determines whether or not execution of a printing process regarding the print information is allowed. Each image forming unit prints and outputs print information acquired from the information management unit on a recording medium in accordance with a determination result of the determining unit. The determining unit includes a first authenticating unit and a second authenticating unit. The first authenticating unit performs authentication to determine whether or not execution of processing before printing and outputting the print information on a recording medium is allowed.

Abstract: An optical device (1) includes: a first capillary tube assembly (2) and a second capillary tube assembly (3), in which capillary tubes (6, 10) into which optical fibers (5, 8 (9)) are inserted and fixed, are retained, respectively, by retaining sleeves (7, 11); and a lens assembly (4) including a first lens (12) and a second lens (13), which are opposed to leading ends (5a, 8a (9a)) of the optical fibers (5, 8 (9)), respectively, through a space; a band pass filter (14) interposed between both lenses (12, 13); and an accommodation member (15) for accommodating those components. At least one of the lens (12) is formed of a spherical portion (12b) and a flat surface portion (12a), the flat surface portion (12a) is formed into an inclined surface, and a center of curvature of the spherical portion (12b) is offset from the optical axis of the optical fiber (5).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a screening method for determining whether a substance of interest is a substance which alters GPR40-mediated cell stimulating activities, comprising using a substance of interest, a biomembrane containing GPR40, or cells containing said biomembrane, and phospholipase or salts thereof. According to the present invention, substances involved in insulin secretion can be screened. In addition, according to the present invention, substance useful for the prevention or treatment of diabetes, diabetic complications and degenerative diseases, hyperglycemia, polyuria, ketonemia, acidosis, insulin resistance, impaired glucose tolerance, neurodegenerative diseases, insulinoma, cancers, hyperinsulinemia, hyperglyceridemia, fatty liver, hypoglycemia due to insulin hypersecretion, arteriosclerosis, hyperlipidemia, cerebral stroke, obesity, various diseases induced by diabetes or obesity, and the like.

Abstract: The present invention uses a temperature sensor to sense the temperature of a print head configured to eject ink, and senses the environmental temperature of a printing apparatus. The temperature of the print head is corrected based on the environmental temperature only if information from the temperature sensor is different from the last information acquired.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is configured to execute a plurality of operations in parallel. A display unit displays a header identifying each operation in a plurality of operation on a display unit. A control unit switches a current operation based on selection of the header via an input unit and, when switching the current operation, controls display of suspension information to indicate a suspension state of a suspended operation on the header for the suspended operation in addition to the current operation.

Abstract: A printhead includes a driving unit configured to drive a plurality of heaters, a register configured to input data of a plurality of bits corresponding to the number of heaters, a latch configured holding the data transferred from the register; a generation unit configured to generate a control signal of the driving unit for each heater based on a value of the data and a change in a level of an enable signal including a plurality of pulse signals; and an output unit outputting the control signal generated by the generation unit to the driving unit in synchronism with the pulse signals.

Abstract: An optical device includes a first retaining sleeve having a first capillary tube retained therein, the first capillary tube having an optical fiber inserted therein; a second retaining sleeve having a second capillary tube retained therein, the second capillary tube having an optical fiber inserted therein; and a lens assembly. The lens assembly includes a first lens and a second lens each of which has one end surface provided with a spherical surface portion, an optical functional portion, and an accommodation sleeve for accommodating the optical functional component. An end surface of the first retaining sleeve is fixed to one end surface of the accommodation sleeve, and an end surface of the second retaining sleeve is fixed to the other end surface of the accommodation sleeve.

Abstract: The present invention provides dental fillers having the optical and/or mechanical characteristics required to dental materials, a method of producing the same, and a dental composite material prepared with use of the dental filler. More specifically, the present invention provides a dental filler containing a zirconium silicate compound, especially a zirconium trisilicate compound with a wadeite type crystalline structure and having an average particle diameter in the range from 2 to 50,000 nm, a method of producing the same, a dental composite material containing the dental filler and a hardenable resin selected from an acrylic resin, a methacrylic resin, an epoxy resin, a vinyl resin, a urethane resin and the like.

Abstract: A recording apparatus, performing recording by time-division driving of multiple recording elements on a recording head in increments of blocks, includes: a storing unit storing recording data; an obtaining unit obtaining information relating to inclination of the recording elements in the main scanning direction; a changing unit changing, in increments of recording elements, the main scanning direction storage position of recording data stored in the storing unit to be provided to recording elements of a group, configured of consecutive recording elements in each block of the recording elements, based on the obtained information; and a determining unit determining the driving order of the recording elements subjected to time-division driving in increments of the blocks, for each of the scans; wherein recording is performed based on recording data with the main scanning direction storage position having been changed by the changing unit, and the driving order determined by the determining unit.

Abstract: Quality degradation of a print image due to a deviation amount in a landing position of ink is prevented while suppressing degradation of through-put. In a method of completing a print to a unit region by at least one reciprocal scan to the unit region of a print medium by a printing head in which plural ink ejection ports are arrayed for ejecting ink, a printing rate in a scan direction where a deviation amount in a landing position of ink in an array direction of the ink ejection ports is relatively large is set relatively low and the printing rate in the scan direction where the deviation amount in the landing position of ink in the array direction of the ink ejection ports is relatively small is set relatively high.