Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that has a high expansion ratio and durability at high temperatures, and is not likely to cause discoloration and odor when used for foam molding. The thermally expandable microcapsule of the present invention includes: a shell formed from a polymer; and a volatile expansion agent as a core agent encapsulated by the shell, the shell obtained by polymerizing a monomer composition that contains a nitrile monomer and a compound having a glycidyl group in a molecule, the shell exhibiting a value y of 50% or higher and a ratio y/x of 1.1 or higher, in which x represents a gel fraction at ordinary temperature, and y represents a gel fraction upon heating at 180° C. for 30 minutes.

Abstract: A navigation device 10 comprises: position detecting means 11 for determining the current position of a user from the absolute position in longitude and latitude by using the electric waves coming from a plurality of artificial satellites going around the earth; storage means 14 for storing the coordinates in longitude and latitude of nodes, as obtained by setting a starting point and a final place, on a scheduled route; display means 12 for displaying the current position and the scheduled route; and control means 16 for controlling the display on the display means 12 by converting the angular data of the absolute positions and the coordinates into distance data while making corrections according to the current position, and by calculating an element between the nodes thereby to calculate whether or not the current position is on the scheduled route, in dependence upon whether or not the distance between the element and the current position is within a predetermined range.

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: A method containing a step of reacting a conjugated diene polymer having an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal active end with a hydrocarbyloxysilane compound having one or more of each of the following functional groups I and II in its molecule to obtain a modified conjugated diene polymer containing a functional group II, and a step of mixing the modified conjugated diene polymer and a compound such as organic acid. A modified conjugated diene rubber which can be used as a raw material of a cross-linked rubber which can be used in tire treads and the like and can enhance low fuel consumption performance is provided. The functional group I is a hydrocarbyloxysilyl group. The functional group II is a nitrogen-containing group in which both of two hydrogen atoms of a primary amino group are substituted with protective groups.

Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including amplifier units including: an amplifier having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal; an input capacitor having one terminal to which an output signal from a pixel is input, and another terminal connected to the second input terminal of the amplifier; a feedback switch connected between the second input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier; and a feedback capacitor connected in parallel with the feedback switch and between the second input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier, in which a driving current of the amplifier during a first period is smaller than a driving current of the amplifier during a second period in which the amplifier amplifies the output signal from the pixel, and the feedback switch is set to a connection state during the first period.

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 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: An object of the present invention is to provide a ferrite magnetic material which can provide a permanent magnet retaining high Br and HcJ as well as having high Hk/HcJ. The ferrite magnetic material according to a preferred embodiment is a ferrite magnetic material formed of hard ferrite, wherein a P content in terms of P2O5 is 0.001% by mass or more.

Abstract: Provided are a medicine and a food product that suppress a heart disease such as cardiomegaly and heart failure. Specifically provided is an agent for suppressing a heart disease selected from heart failure, cardiac fibrosis, ventricular wall thickening and cardiomegaly, which comprises luteolin or a derivative thereof as an active ingredient.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a ferrite magnetic material capable of providing a permanent magnet in which high Br and HcJ are kept, and which has a high Hk/HcJ. A ferrite magnetic material in accordance with a preferred embodiment has a ferrite phase having a hexagonal structure and has a main composition represented by Ca1-w-x-yRwSrxBayFezMmO19 (R is at least one element of rare earth elements (including Y) essentially including La, and Bi, and M is at least one element of Co, Mn, Mg, Ni, Cu, and Zn essentially including Co), where 0.25<w<0.65, 0.01<x<0.45, 0.0002<y<0.011, y<x, 8<z<11, 1.0<w/m<2.5, and 0.017<m/z<0.065 are satisfied. The total amount of a Si component is 0.1 to 3 mass % based on the amount of the main composition, and respective elements satisfy the relationship of 1.5?[(Ca+R+Sr+Ba)?(Fe+M)/12]/Si?3.5.

Abstract: Provided is a solid-state imaging apparatus, including amplifier units including: an amplifier having a first input terminal, a second input terminal, and an output terminal; an input capacitor having one terminal to which an output signal from a pixel is input, and another terminal connected to the second input terminal of the amplifier; a feedback switch connected between the second input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier; and a feedback capacitor connected in parallel with the feedback switch and between the second input terminal and the output terminal of the amplifier, in which a driving current of the amplifier during a first period is smaller than a driving current of the amplifier during a second period in which the amplifier amplifies the output signal from the pixel, and the feedback switch is set to a connection state during the first period.

Abstract: The invention provides a rubber composition which can improve low fuel consumption performance, workability, and abrasion resistance at the same time in uses of automobile tires and the like. A modified conjugated diene polymer is produced by a method comprising: a polymerization step of polymerizing a conjugated diene compound or polymerizing a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound to obtain a conjugated diene polymer having an active end in the presence of a metal amide compound obtained by mixing an alkali metal compound or an alkaline earth metal compound with a secondary amine compound and a first modification step of reacting the active end with a compound (C1) having a functional group (a) that interacts with silica, having one or more linear structures where three or more groups or atoms in total derived from at least either of a methylene group and a divalent atom are linearly connected, and capable of binding to a plurality of the active ends.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermally expandable microcapsule that has a high expansion ratio and durability at high temperatures, and is not likely to cause discoloration and odor when used for foam molding. The thermally expandable microcapsule of the present invention includes: a shell formed from a polymer; and a volatile expansion agent as a core agent encapsulated by the shell, the shell obtained by polymerizing a monomer composition that contains a nitrile monomer and a compound having a glycidyl group in a molecule, the shell exhibiting a value y of 50% or higher and a ratio y/x of 1.1 or higher, in which x represents a gel fraction at ordinary temperature, and y represents a gel fraction upon heating at 180° C. for 30 minutes.

Abstract: A ferrite magnet and a ferrite sintered magnet including a ferrite magnetic material are provided. A main phase of the ferrite magnetic material includes a ferrite phase having a hexagonal crystal structure, and metal element composition expressed by Ca1-w-x-yR wSr xBayFezMm wherein 0.25<w<0.5, 0.01<x<0.35, 0.0001<y<0.013, y<x, 8.7<z<9.9, 1.0<w/m<2.1, 0.017<m/z<0.055 and Si component is at least included as a sub-component, and wherein; when content y1 mass % of the Si component in the ferrite magnetic material, with respect to SiO2, is shown on Y-axis and a total content x1 of z and m is shown on X-axis, a relation between x1 and y1 is within a range surrounded by 4 points placed on X-Y coordinate having the X and Y axes.

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: 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: An image processing apparatus includes a scanning unit which scans a reference image data generated by dividing an input image data having distortion into plural areas, a storage which stores the scanned image data, a processing range determining unit which determines a range for the image data to be processed among the stored image data, and a correcting unit which performs a distortion correction on the image data within the determined range. The processing range determining unit determines the range to be larger than the reference image data.

Abstract: A method for producing a modified conjugated diene polymer usable as a raw material of a crosslinked polymer which is used for use in tires and the like of automobiles and can enhance low fuel consumption performance of automobiles and the like is provided. A method for producing a modified conjugated diene polymer comprising a polymerization step in which a monomer including a conjugated diene compound or a monomer including a conjugated diene compound and an aromatic vinyl compound is polymerized in the presence of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of the following formulae (1) and (2) and an alkali metal compound or an alkaline earth metal compound to obtain a modified conjugated diene polymer. (In the formulae, A1 is a hydrocarbylsilyl group in which three H's (hydrogen atoms) in a “—SiH3” structure are each substituted by a hydrocarbyl group, and R1 and R2 are hydrocarbylene groups.

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.