Abstract: A modified conjugated diene-based polymer is produced by reacting a conjugated diene-based polymer having an alkali metal or an alkali-earth metal at a terminal of the polymer with a compound represented by formula (1). R1 and R2 independently represent a hydrocarbyl group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms. R3 represents a substituted alkyl group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms prepared through substitution of at least one of a hydrogen atom and —CH2— of an alkyl group by a group containing only at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, or a monovalent aromatic group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, with the proviso that R3 does not have active hydrogen. R4 represents an alkanediyl group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms. n is 1 or 2.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a binder for a power storage device electrode which exhibits thermal energy stability over a wide temperature range covering from a high-temperature condition to a low-temperature condition when used as a binder for a power storage device electrode, and which enables production of a high-capacity storage battery with a small irreversible capacity and low resistance to have excellent output characteristics. The present invention also aims to provide a binder for a power storage device electrode which is excellent in dispersibility of an active material and adhesiveness, which improves the flexibility of an electrode to be obtained, and which has high resistance against electrolytes to enable production of a high-capacity storage battery even when the added amount thereof is small.

Abstract: An example system includes a vehicle, a robot, and a controller. The vehicle may include an accelerator operator and a steering operator. The robot may include as accelerator actuator configured to operate the accelerator operator, and a steering actuator configured to operate-the steering operator. The controller is configured to: in response to an accelerator command, send a first signal to the accelerator actuator to operate the accelerator operator of the vehicle, and in response to a steering command, send a second, signal to the steering actuator to steer the vehicle.

Abstract: A modified conjugated diene polymer obtained by modifying a conjugated diene polymer that is obtained by polymerizing a conjugated diene compound or polymerizing a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound is produced by a production method comprising a first modification step wherein an unsaturated binding site at least either in the skeleton or at the side chain of the conjugated diene polymer is reacted with a first compound having a group 4 or 13 element of the periodic table.

Abstract: The present invention aims to provide a binder for a power storage device electrode which is excellent in adhesiveness and capable of improving the flexibility of an electrode to be obtained when used as a binder for a power storage device electrode, and which has high resistance against electrolytes. The present invention also aims to provide a binder for a power storage device electrode which favorably maintains adhesiveness between active materials in a long-term cycle, and which enables production of a high-capacity storage battery with a small irreversible capacity and low resistance to have excellent output characteristics. The present invention further aims to provide a composition for a power storage device electrode, a power storage device electrode, and a power storage device each prepared using the binder for a power storage device electrode.

Abstract: Provided is an imaging device including a pixel array including pixels; a readout circuit that reads out signals from the pixels; a temperature sensor that outputs a signal in accordance with a temperature; and a current control circuit that controls a current supplied to the temperature sensor. The current control circuit performs control in a first period such that a predetermined current is supplied to the temperature sensor, and performs control in a second period such that a current supplied to the temperature sensor becomes smaller than the predetermined current or stops. The first period is set in a first blanking period between a process in which the first readout circuit reads out one frame of signals output from the pixels and a process in which the first readout circuit reads out next one frame of signals output from the pixels.

Abstract: An image pickup device according to an embodiment includes pixels each configured to output an analog signal based on electric charges produced in a photoelectric conversion unit and a control unit configured to control a gain applied to the analog signal to be at least a first gain and a second gain greater than the first gain in accordance with a signal value of the analog signal. Each of the pixels outputs, as the analog signal, a first signal and a second signal based on electric charges produced in the photoelectric conversion unit in a first exposure period and a second exposure period shorter than the first exposure period. The control unit controls the gain applied to the analog signal by selecting one from the first gain and the second gain in accordance with the signal value, for at least one of the first signal and the second signal.

Abstract: A modified conjugated diene-based polymer is produced that is a modified product of a conjugated diene-based polymer obtained by polymerizing a conjugated diene compound, or polymerizing a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound, in the presence of an alkali metal compound or an alkaline-earth metal compound. The modified conjugated diene-based polymer is produced by a production method that includes a main chain modification step that reacts at least either an unsaturated bond or a functional group that is included in a terminal-modified polymer and is not situated at a terminal of the terminal-modified polymer, with a specific compound that includes a functional group that interacts with silica, the terminal-modified polymer being obtained by introducing a functional group that interacts with silica into at least one terminal of the conjugated diene-based polymer.

Abstract: A modified conjugated diene-based polymer is produced by reacting a conjugated diene-based polymer having an alkali metal or an alkali-earth metal at a terminal of the polymer with a compound represented by formula (1). R1 and R2 independently represent a hydrocarbyl group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms. R3 represents a substituted alkyl group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms prepared through substitution of at least one of a hydrogen atom and —CH2— of an alkyl group by a group containing only at least one heteroatom selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, or a monovalent aromatic group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms and containing at least one element selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, phosphorus, oxygen, and sulfur, with the proviso that R3 does not have active hydrogen. R4 represents an alkanediyl group having 20 or fewer carbon atoms.

Abstract: In an image pickup system according to an aspect of the present invention, a pixel portion includes a plurality of first pixel rows controlled by a scanning circuit such that charge accumulation periods are at least partially overlapped with each other and a plurality of second pixel rows controlled by the scanning circuit such that charge accumulation periods are not overlapped with the charge accumulation periods of the first pixel rows, part of the plurality of first pixel rows commonly uses a floating diffusion with a pixel in the second pixel row, another part of the plurality of first pixel rows does not commonly use the floating diffusion with the pixel in the second pixel row, and the signal processing unit performs signal processing without using a signal of the pixel in the first pixel row that commonly uses the floating diffusion with the pixel in the second row.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that is excellent in heat resistance and durability and exhibits an excellent foaming property in a wide temperature range from low temperatures to high temperatures. The present invention is a thermally expandable microcapsule, which comprises a shell containing a copolymer, and a volatile liquid as a core agent included in the shell, the copolymer being obtainable by polymerization of a monomer mixture containing a monomer A and a monomer B, the monomer A being at least one selected from the group consisting of a nitrile group-containing acrylic monomer and an amide group-containing acrylic monomer, the monomer B being at least one selected from the group consisting of a carboxyl group-containing acrylic monomer and an ester group-containing acrylic monomer, a total amount of the monomer A and the monomer B accounting for 70% by weight or more of the monomer mixture, and a weight ratio of the monomer A and the monomer B being 5:5 to 9:1.

Abstract: A pixel portion includes a plurality of first pixel rows and a plurality of second pixel rows each being arranged so as to be adjacent to the first pixel row. Among the first pixel row and the second pixel row arranged so as to be adjacent to each other, during at least a part of a period from an end of the electric charge accumulation period in the second pixel row until an end of an output period in which signals from pixels in the first pixel row are output, electric charges accumulated in photoelectric conversion units of pixels in the second pixel row are reset.

Abstract: Provided is an image pickup apparatus, including a plurality of microlenses, a plurality of image pickup rows being configured to output a signal for generating an image a distance measurement row being configured to output a focus detection signal a plurality of signal processing units, and a control unit. The control unit is configured to control the plurality of image pickup rows to perform a first operation of reading signals to the plurality of signal processing units; control, before or after the first operation, the distance measurement row to perform a second operation of reading signals to the plurality of signal processing units; control the plurality of signal processing units to be in an operating state in one of the first and second operations; and control a part of the plurality of signal processing units to be in an operation-restricted state in another of the first and second operations.

Abstract: A ferrite sintered magnet includes a composition expressed by a formula (1) of Ca1-w-xLawAxFezComMnaO19. In the formula (1), “w”, “x”, “z”, “m”, and “a” satisfy a formula (2) of 0.21?w?0.62, a formula (3) of 0.02?x?0.46, a formula (4) of 7.43?z?11.03, a formula (5) of 0.18?m?0.41, and a formula (6) of 0.046?a?0.188. In the formula (1), “A” is at least one kind of element selected from a group consisting of Sr and Ba.

Abstract: A ferrite sintered magnet includes a composition expressed by a formula (1) of Ca1-w-xLawAxFezComO19. In the formula (1), “w”, “x”, “z”, and “m” satisfy a formula (2) of 0.30?w?0.50, a formula (3) of 0.08?x?0.20, a formula (4) of 8.55?z?10.00, and a formula (5) of 0.20?m?0.40. In the formula (1), “A” is at least one kind of element selected from a group consisting of Sr and Ba. Cr is further contained at 0.058 mass % to 0.132 mass % in terms of Cr2O3.

Abstract: The present invention provides a driving method for an image pickup apparatus that appropriately performs both readout of a signal of a reference pixel and mixing of mutual signals output by a plurality of effective pixels, and the present invention also provides an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup system.

Abstract: A semiconductor apparatus, comprising a decoder arranged in a path between a first power supply line and a second power supply line and configured to receive a signal and decode the signal, a switch portion arranged, in series with the decoder, in the path between the first power supply line and the second power supply line, and a control unit configured to set the switch portion in a conductive state so as to cause the decoder to decode the signal after the signal has changed from one of high level and low level to the other.

Abstract: The present invention provides a driving method for an image pickup apparatus that appropriately performs both readout of a signal of a reference pixel and mixing of mutual signals output by a plurality of effective pixels, and the present invention also provides an image pickup apparatus and an image pickup system.

Abstract: A method for producing a modified conjugated diene polymer, comprises polymerizing (i) a monomer comprising a conjugated diene compound, or (ii) a monomer comprising a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound, in the presence of: at least one compound selected from the group consisting of formulae (1) and (2), and an alkali metal compound or an alkaline earth metal compound. A1 is a functional group which has a hydrocarbylsilyl group in which three hydrogen atoms in a —SiH3 structure are each substituted by a hydrocarbyl group; has at least one atom selected from the group consisting of N, P and S; and has no active hydrogen and is bound to R1 by any one atom of the N, P and S. R1 and R2 are hydrocarbylene groups.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that maintains a high expansion ratio and hardly bursts and shrinks even at a high temperature, a foamable thermoplastic resin masterbatch and a foam molded product that are produced using the thermally expandable microcapsule, and a method for producing the thermally expandable microcapsule. The thermally expandable microcapsule comprises a volatile expansion agent included in a shell as a core agent and the shell formed of a polymer, the shell containing a thermosetting resin and a polymer obtainable by polymerization of a monomer composition containing a nitrile-type monomer and a monomer having a carboxyl group, and the thermosetting resin having no radical-polymerizable double bond and at least two functional groups reactive with a carboxyl group per molecule.