Abstract: There is provided a risk-free and easy-to-use battery pack using battery cells 1 as a secondary battery, in which internal gases evaporated by applying overvoltage or the like thereto are processed inside a case to be prevented from leaking to the outside of the case and thereby even if the case has been led to rise in pressure due to a thermorunaway of the battery, the case is free from breaking. To realize this performance, the battery pack 10 is provided with a battery cell housing 17 for housing lithium cells 1 and a gas processor 15 for liquefying the internal gases g generated from the lithium cells 1.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for electrophotography having a capsule structure including a core and a shell that covers the core, wherein the core contains a colorant, a releasing agent, an amorphous resin, and a block polymer containing a crystalline part and an amorphous part, the weight-average molecular weight of the block polymer is 10,000 or more, the weight-average molecular weight of the resin used in formation of the amorphous part of the block polymer is 1000 to 5000, and the weight-average molecular weight of the resin used in formation of the crystalline part of the block polymer is at least 2 times the weight-average molecular weight of the resin used in formation of the amorphous part of the block polymer, a method of manufacturing the same, a developer for electrophotography including the toner and a carrier, and an image forming method using the developer for electrophotography.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toner for electrostatic charge development comprising an amorphous polyester resin, a releasing agent, and magnetic metal particles covered with a resin the main component of which is a crystalline polyester resin.

Abstract: There is provided an uninterruptible power supply system capable of preventing life shortening of a lithium-ion secondary battery attributable to its overcharge over the whole period of its use. At the start of use of the lithium-ion secondary battery 22, a charging voltage is set comparatively low. On the other hand, as the lithium-ion secondary battery 22 comes closer to an end of its life, its charging voltage becomes higher. A charging control means 37 variably sets the charging voltage applied to the lithium-ion secondary battery 22 so as to realize a discharge duration thereof may become slightly longer than a backup time required for the system and hence life shortening of the lithium-ion secondary battery 22 attributable to overcharge can be prevented.

Abstract: The invention provides a color image forming method including charging, developing, transferring and fixing. The fixing includes thermally fixing a toner image to paper by using a heating body and a pressurizing member which is positioned opposite to the heating body via a film-like member. The color toner includes a toner particle containing a crystalline resin and a non-crystalline resin. When the color toner is subjected to dynamic viscoelasticity measurement employing a sine wave vibration method, a minimum value of the relaxation elasticity H in a relaxation spectrum obtained from frequency dispersion characteristics when a measurement frequency measured at 60 and 80° C. is 0.1 to 100 rad/sec and a measurement strain at a frequency of 6.28 rad/sec is 0.1 %, is in a range of about 10 to 900 Pa/cm2. A relaxation time ? corresponding to the minimum value is in a range of about 1 to 10,000 sec.

Abstract: Si—Si bond-bearing compounds are effectively prepared by irradiating with radiation or heating Si—H group-bearing silicon compounds in organic solvents in the presence of iron complex catalysts. The Si—Si bond-bearing compounds are useful as a base material in photoresist compositions, ceramic precursor compositions, and conductive compositions.

Abstract: The invention provides a toner for developing electrostatic latent images containing at least a binder resin, a colorant, a releasing agent, and a graft polymer that has been made by graft polymerization of a resin matrix and a macromonomer including at least one group selected from the group consisting of a hydroxyl group, a hydroxyalkyl group, and a pyrolidonyl group, and a production method thereof. The invention further provides an electrostatic latent image developer using the toner, an image forming method using the toner, and an image forming apparatus.

Abstract: A toner for development of an electrostatic image includes at least a crystalline polyester resin and a colorant. The toner shows a dielectric loss index ?? of 0.1 or less at 0.1 Hz and 500 V at 30° C. and 90% RH.

Abstract: Provided are a toner for developing an electrostatic image comprising a crystalline resin having an ester bond and at least one of a sulfide bond or a disulfide bond in the main-chain, an electrostatic image developer and an image-forming process by using the same, a method of producing the toner for developing electrostatic image, and a resin particle dispersion using the same.

Abstract: A battery cell 101 has an internal structure where after building up an assembled unit by stacking positive-and negative-electrode materials 110, 111 and a separator 112 in some layers, the assembled units, together with an electrolyte, are sealed with aluminum laminates 114, 114. The battery pack 1 comprises cell assemblies 102 formed by stacking one on top of another in a plurality of the battery cells 101. A deformation-preventive plate 2 is inserted into a portion between each of the battery cells 101 stacked. The cell assemblies 102 inserted by the deformation-preventive plates 2 between each of the battery cells are pressed by cell assembly pressing plates 3, 3 from the upper and lower sides of the battery assemblies. The cell assemblies 102 are pressed by the cell assembly pressing plates 3, 3 to be subjected to some degree of pressure. Hence, the cell assemblies 102 expand not largely to be maintained as an approximately the same form as that at a normal time.

Abstract: It is intended to provide a method of screening a candidate drug mainly metabolized by a drug metabolizing enzyme, CYP2D6, CYP2C9 or CYP2C19 with the use of a chimeric mouse carrying human hepatocytes transplanted thereinto, whereby it is determined whether or not the candidate drug is metabolized in a subject deficient in CYP2D6, CYP2C9 or CYP2C19. It is also intended to provide a method of determining whether or not a candidate drug induces or inhibits the activity of any of drug metabolizing enzymes, CYP1A2, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP2D6 and CYP3A4 with the use of a chimeric mouse carrying human hepatocytes transplanted thereinto.

Abstract: Provided are an electrophotographic toner, comprising a binder resin containing a coloring agent, a crystalline resin and an amorphous resin, wherein the crystalline resin has two or more peaks in weight-average molecular weight as determined by gel permeation chromatography, one of the peaks has a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 15,000 to 40,000, and another peak has a weight-average molecular weight in the range of 2,000 to 10,000 and a production method thereof, and an electrophotographic developer and an image-forming process using the electrophotographic toner.

Abstract: Semiconductor elements composing a semiconductor device are formed on a semiconductor substrate. Wirings composed of copper or an alloy mainly composed of copper are formed in wiring layers through interlayer insulation films to connect the semiconductor elements to each other. When the wirings are formed, a temperature of the wirings is held in a first temperature zone covering ±40° C. of a temperature at which a stress migration is most accelerated.

Abstract: A method and device for safety protection of a secondary battery capable of preventing smoking and ignition thereof. A lithium cell 1 as a chargeable and dischargeable secondary battery, a protection circuit 11 for shutting down charging power Pc at the time of overcurrent, overvoltage, etc., and an electric power restriction circuit 20 for limiting the charging power Pc input to the lithium cell 1 are incorporated into a battery pack 10. A battery charger 12, equipped with a stabilized electric source 13 and a charging circuit 14, inputting the charging power Pc to the lithium cell 1, is connected to a previous stage of the battery pack 10. The electric power restriction circuit 20 limits the charging power Pc within a boundary value Pmax of a safety operation region for safely using the lithium cell 1, thereby permitting the lithium cell 1 to operate safely under any conditions.

Abstract: The invention provides an electrophotographic toner having a crystalline polyester resin; a non-crystalline polyester resin; a colorant; and a releasing agent. A resin (i), that is included in a toluene-soluble component of the toner and having a molecular weight of 30,000 to 100,000 as measured by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards, has an acid value A. A resin (ii), that is included in a toluene-soluble component of the toner and having a molecular weight of 8,000 to 12,000 as measured by gel permeation chromatography relative to polystyrene standards, has an acid value B. A resin (iii), that is included in a toluene-insoluble component of the toner, has an acid value C. The acid values A, B, and C satisfy the inequation of B>A>C. The invention further provides an electrophotographic developer using the toner, a toner cartridge storing the toner, and an image forming method using the developer.

Abstract: The battery pack is made up by stacking vertically a plurality of electrically-series-connected flat-plate-like battery cells so as to attain a given voltage and a given capacity. Interlayer members are interposed between each battery cell stacked. The interlayer member functions as a surface pressure distributing member to thereby equalize surface pressures of the battery cells building up the battery pack, thus permitting the whole of the battery pack to lengthen in life span. Further, by employing, as the interlayer members, heat insulating members with heat insulating efficiency or heat dissipating members with excellent thermal conductivity, the battery cell located in a central position of the battery pack is prevented from shortening partially in life span, thus permitting the whole of the battery pack to lengthen in life span.

Abstract: A chargeable and dischargeable lithium cell and the filter unit capable of absorbing flammable materials are housed inside a casing. When an overvoltage is impressed from a battery charger to a battery pack and then internal gases inside the lithium cell are discharged out of an explosion-proof valve, the flammable materials included in internal gases are absorbed by the filter unit to change the internal gases into nonflammable gases. The internal gases purified by passing through the filter unit are exhausted from a gas-vent opening to the outside of the casing. By providing the filter unit inside the casing, the flammable materials discharged out of the lithium cell 1 can be prevented from leaking to the outside of the casing.

Abstract: A toner for developing an electrostatic latent image includes a binder resin, a colorant and a releasing agent. The releasing agent contains a hydrocarbon component including a linear hydrocarbon component, and the liner hydrocarbon component has a carbon number distribution and an average carbon number N. An amount of a component having a carbon number of from N?4 to N+4 in the releasing agent is 80% by mass or more based on the total mass of the hydrocarbon component of the releasing agent. An amount of a component having a carbon number of N?10 or less in the releasing agent is 0.05% by mass or less based on the total mass of the hydrocarbon component of the releasing agent, and an amount of a component having a carbon number of N+10 or more in the releasing agent is 0.05% by mass or less based on the total mass of the hydrocarbon component of the releasing agent.

Abstract: Provided is a toner for electrostatic charge image developing, comprising a core layer which contains a first binder resin and a coloring agent, and a shell layer which contains a second binder resin and covers the core layer, characterized in that the following equation (1) and the following equation (2) are satisfied, 2.0×105?G?(60)?4.0×106??Equation (1) 10?G?(60)/G?(80)?40??Equation (2) wherein, in the equation (1) and the equation (2), G?(60) represents a storage elastic modulus (Pa) of the toner for electrostatic charge image developing measured under the conditions of a temperature of 60° C., a vibration frequency of 6.28 rad/sec, and a strain amount of 0.01 to 0.5%, and G?(80) represents a storage elastic modulus (Pa) of the toner for electrostatic charge image developing measured under the conditions of a temperature of 80° C., a vibration frequency of 6.28 rad/sec, and a strain amount of 0.01 to 0.5%.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image-forming method, including pseudo-halftone-processing an input signal corresponding to image information to generate an output signal; irradiating a radiation beam corresponding to the output signal onto a latent image-holding member to form a latent image; developing the latent image with a developer including a toner containing a binder resin and a colorant to form a toner image on the latent image-holding member; transferring the toner image onto a recording medium; and fixing the toner image on the recording medium to form an image, wherein: when a halftone image is formed as the image, the toner image formed on the latent image-holding member is composed of plural toner aggregates scattered like dots on the latent image-holding member; the diameter of the radiation beam irradiated onto the latent image-holding member is 35 ?m or more; the pseudo-halftone processing results in the toner aggregates, which have been transferred onto the recording medium, having uneven