Abstract: An article supply apparatus capable of supplying an article, comprises an accommodation unit in which articles are accommodated; a supply unit which supplies at least one of the articles accommodated in the accommodation unit; an operation unit capable of performing an operation in order to supply the at least one of the articles from the supply unit; a lock unit which locks the operation unit so as to make the operation to the operation unit unavailable; a control unit which releases a lock of the lock unit; and a notification control unit, capable of notifying a first state where the lock of the lock unit and a second state where the operation of the operation unit is completed, wherein a way of notification of the first state is different from that of the second state.

Abstract: In a fixing device, a heater heats an endless rotatable fixing belt. A retention member includes a groove for retaining a lubricant and retains the heater such that a surface on a front side comes into contact with an inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt via the lubricant. A pressure member is pressed against the heater while the fixing belt is interposed therebetween and forms, with the fixing belt, a pressure region for heating and pressurizing a paper sheet onto which a toner image has been transferred. A guide guides the paper sheet to the pressure region. The guide causes the paper sheet to come into contact with the fixing belt at a position more on a downstream side of a rotation direction of the fixing belt than the groove, to guide the paper sheet to the pressure region.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus according to an aspect of the present disclosure includes a fixing device and a controller. The fixing device includes a fixing member, a pressure member, a heating member, and a temperature sensor. The controller cuts off power supply to the heating member when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor has risen to a cutoff temperature higher than the target temperature and thereafter resumes power supply to the heating member when the detected temperature has fallen below the cutoff temperature, and performs the PID control while limiting a maximum power supplied to the heating member to an upper limit power, which is a power supplied to the heating member at the time when the detected temperature has risen to the cutoff temperature, during a period from when power supply is resumed until a predetermined specific period of time elapses.

Abstract: The fixing device includes: a rotatable endless fixing belt; a heater that heats the fixing belt; a holding member that holds the heater so that a front surface thereof is in contact with an inner peripheral surface of the fixing belt; and a pressure member that is pressed against the heater with the fixing belt therebetween and to form a pressure area between the pressure member and the fixing belt where a sheet to which a toner image has been transferred is heated and pressed. A uniform heating layer is formed on a rear side of the heater without any gaps.

Abstract: According to one embodiment of the present disclosure, provided is a substrate cleaning device including: a substrate holder configured to hold a substrate; a substrate cleaning member configured to come into sliding contact with the held substrate, and clean the substrate using a first cleaning liquid supplied from a first nozzle; a self-cleaning member configured to come into sliding contact with the substrate cleaning member at a retreat position separated from the substrate holder, and performs self-cleaning on the substrate cleaning member using a second cleaning liquid supplied from a second nozzle; a measurement module configured to measure a physical property value of a waste liquid of the second cleaning liquid used for the self-cleaning of the substrate cleaning member; and a controller configured to estimate a number of fine particles adhering to the cleaned substrate based on the physical property value of the waste liquid.

Abstract: A negative electrode using a binding agent excellent in binding property, the negative electrode being capable of using water as an alternative solvent to an organic solvent during production of the negative electrode. A negative electrode including: a compound obtained through condensation of polyacrylic acid and a polyaminobenzene derivative represented by general formula (1) below and/or a self-condensation product of the polyaminobenzene derivative; a cellulose derivative; and a negative electrode active material.

Abstract: A triboelectric film and its laminate that utilize a conductive primer are provided. The triboelectric effect is a type of contact electrification such that with a suitable configuration, a current may flow from one region to another. When decorative triboelectric films are touched, electrical charges are built up and the generated electrical charges between a human body and films flow through a conductive primer. This system based on the triboelectric effect and the conductive primer can provide electrical functions to decorative film products without there being any large changes.

Abstract: A semiconductor memory device according to an embodiment includes a first stacked body, a second stacked body, an intermediate conductive layer, an intermediate insulating layer, a semiconductor pillar, a charge storage film, and an insulating film. The semiconductor pillar includes a first part, a second part, and a third part. The charge storage film includes a first charge storage portion and a second charge storage portion. The charge storage film includes at least one first element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, hafnium, and aluminum. The insulating film provides in at least a portion between the intermediate conductive layer and the first part. The insulating film not includes the first element, or the insulating film has a concentration of the first element lower than a concentration of the first element of the charge storage film.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing belt, a heater including a main heater and two sub heaters, a pressure member, a drive device, a main temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the main heater, a sub temperature sensor that detects a temperature of only one of the two sub heaters, a controller, and an abnormality decision device that decides whether a duty ratio adopted by the controller, to control the power amount to be supplied to the two sub heaters, is an appropriate value corresponding to a transport status of the recording medium in a regular transport mode. The controller executes, when the abnormality decision device decides that the duty ratio adopted to control the power amount to be supplied to the two sub heaters is not the appropriate value, a predetermined preventive operation for suppressing an excessive temperature increase of the heater.

Abstract: A fixing device includes a fixing belt formed in a cylindrical shape, with a lubricant applied to an inner circumferential surface, and set such that a circumferential surface rotates in a circumferential direction, a heater retention member that retains the heater, inside of the fixing belt, and a pressure member that defines a nip region, through which a recording medium is transported in a nipped state, between the pressure member and a portion of the fixing belt heated from inside by the heater, and drives the fixing belt to rotate. The heater retention member includes a first opposing face extending in a rotation axis direction of the fixing belt, and opposed to the inner circumferential surface of the fixing belt. The first opposing face includes slits aligned in the rotation axis direction of the fixing belt, and a lubricant is applied in advance inside the slits.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming device, a fixing device, and a controller. The fixing device includes a fixing belt, a heater, a pressure roller, a drive device, and a pressure adjustment mechanism that adjusts pressure to the nip region from the pressure roller, by switching between a normal level and a low level. When executing a print job, the controller causes the drive device to rotate the pressure roller, thereby causing the fixing belt to start to rotate, after causing the pressure adjustment mechanism to switch the pressure to the nip region to the low level, causes the pressure adjustment mechanism to switch the pressure to the nip region from the low level to the normal level, when a predetermined time has elapsed after the fixing belt started to rotate, and causes the image forming device to form an image according to the print job.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing a composite having high strength and high thermal conductivity. The method includes: an alloy preparation step including preparing an alloy which is a solid solution containing ?-Fe as a solvent and at least one type of ?-phase stabilizing element as a solute; a first mixing step including mixing at least one type of ?-phase stabilizing element in powder form and SiC to prepare a first mixture; a second mixing step including mixing the alloy and the first mixture to prepare a second mixture; and a sintering step including sintering the second mixture.

Abstract: An evaluation device includes: a first database that contains as data a measurement factor of a first type power storage device; a second database that contains as data a measurement factor of a second type power storage device which is different from the first type; and a conversion model that converts the data by machine learning. The evaluation device converts the data in the first database to the data in the second database using the conversion model, obtains a post-conversion database with data points greater in number than data points of the second database, and performs evaluation related to the second type power storage device using the post-conversion database.

Abstract: Compounds of Formula (I) or (Ia) or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts can inhibit the G12C mutant of Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) protein and are expected to have utility as therapeutic agents, for example, for treating cancer. The disclosure also provides pharmaceutical compositions which comprise compounds of Formula (I) or (Ia) or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The disclosure also relates to methods for use of the compounds or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts in the therapy and prophylaxis of cancer and for preparing pharmaceuticals for this purpose.

Abstract: Compounds or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts can inhibit the G12C mutant of Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) protein and are expected to have utility as therapeutic agents, for example, for treating cancer. The disclosure also provides pharmaceutical compositions which comprise compounds disclosed herein or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The disclosure also relates to methods for use of the compounds or their pharmaceutically acceptable salts in the therapy and prophylaxis of cancer and for preparing pharmaceuticals for this purpose.

Abstract: A shielded electric wire includes an electric wire including a conductor portion and a cover portion covering the conductor portion, a shielded braid formed of a conductive linear material, the shielded braid covering an outer periphery of the cover portion and a sheath formed of an insulating resin, the sheath being provided around the shielded braid. The electric wire and the shielded braid together form an electric wire assembly. A flexible value of the sheath is equal to or smaller than a flexible value of the electric wire assembly, the flexible value being a value of a load required for bending an object for a predetermined extent.

Abstract: A fluid-filled vibration damping device including a partition having a housing area, and a movable film housed in the housing area while including a central retainer held by the partition and spoke-shaped retainers extending radially outward from the central retainer. A first surface of the movable film is overlapped on a wall inner surface of the housing area. An elastic deformation zone provided circumferentially between the spoke-shaped retainers is allowed to deform in a direction away from the wall inner surface, and includes a cushion ridge projecting from a second surface of the movable film while extending radially outward from the central retainer. A height of the cushion ridge is varied in a direction of extension such that a timing of contact with an opposing wall inner surface in the housing area varies depending on an amount of deformation of the elastic deformation zone.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a light emitting element includes: an n-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which an n-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown; an active layer growing process in which an active layer comprising a plurality of nitride semiconductor well layers and a plurality of nitride semiconductor barrier layers is grown on the n-side nitride semiconductor layer, wherein the active layer is configured to emit ultraviolet light; and a p-side nitride semiconductor layer growing process in which a A-side nitride semiconductor layer is grown on the active layer. The active layer growing process includes: a first barrier layer growing process, a second barrier layer growing process, and a well layer growing process.

Abstract: A vibration damping device including a vibration-damping device main unit inserted into a mounting space of a bracket from a lateral side and securely supported by the bracket. The bracket includes engaging pieces on respective opposed inside faces of the mounting space, and engaging action of the engaging pieces with respect to respective detent engaging faces formed on a fixture member of the vibration-damping device main unit prevents the vibration-damping device main unit from becoming dislodged from the mounting space of the bracket. Opposed walls of the mounting space are each penetrated by an aperture window, and inspection flat surfaces are separately provided to an outside surface of each engaging piece visible from an outside through the aperture window and a corresponding external side surface of the bracket that is off the aperture window. The inspection flat surfaces are parallel to each other.