Abstract: A pressing roller includes a core metal and an elastic layer containing a needle-like filler which has an average length of 0.05 mm or more and 1 mm or less and a thermal conductivity of 500 W/(m.k) or more. In the elastic layer, pore portions are dispersed.

Abstract: A surge voltage target setting unit obtains a main circuit power supply voltage of a semiconductor power conversion device based on an inter-terminal voltage of a semiconductor switching element detected by a voltage detection unit, and sets a control target of a surge voltage in accordance with the obtained main circuit power supply voltage. An active gate control unit, when the semiconductor switching element is turned off, sets a quantity of voltage modification so as to modify a gate voltage in a direction raising the gate voltage, that is, in a direction lowering a turn-off speed, based on feedback of the inter-terminal voltage, when the inter-terminal voltage exceeds the control target.

Abstract: A pressure roller forming a nip portion for contacting to a heating member to pinch and convey and heat recording material includes: a core metal and an elastic layer containing filler, the elastic layer containing the filler including thermal conductive filler with length of not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 1 mm and with thermal conductivity ?f in the longitudinal direction in a range of ?f?500 W/(m·k) being dispersed in not less than 5 vol. % and not more than 40 vol % and the elastic layer containing the filler providing thermal conductivity ?y in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction being ?y?2.5 W/(m·k) and ASKER-C hardness of the filler being not more than 60 degrees, wherein a solid rubber elastic layer with thermal conductivity ? in a thickness direction being not less than 0.16 W/(m·k) and not more than 0.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus includes a rubber layer and a resin tube layer on a metal core. The rubber layer includes a solid rubber layer having a thermal conductivity in a thickness direction of 0.16 W/(m·K) or more and 0.40 W/(m·K) or less, and a self-bonded silicone rubber layer that contains a filler of 5 vol % or more and 40 vol % or less, and has a thermal conductivity in an axial direction of 2.5 W/(m·K) or more and a thickness of 0.5 mm or more and 5.0 mm or less, the filler having a length of 0.05 mm or more and 1 mm or less and a thermal conductivity in a length direction of 500 W/(m·K) or more, so that a pressure roller to moderate temperature rise in a non-sheet feeding area when a small sized recording material has undergone sheet feeding can be easily manufactured.

Abstract: A pressure roller forms a nip for contacting a heating member to pinch and convey a heat recording material. The roller includes a core metal and an elastic layer containing filler. The elastic layer containing the filler includes thermal conductive filler with a length of not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 1 mm and with a thermal conductivity ?f in the longitudinal direction in a range of ?f?500 W/(m·k), being dispersed in not less than 5 vol % and not more than 40 vol %. The elastic layer containing the filler has a thermal conductivity ?y in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction, of ?y?2.5 W/(m·k) and an ASKER-C hardness of the filler is not more than 60 degrees. A solid rubber elastic layer with a thermal conductivity ? in a thickness direction of not less than 0.16 W/(m·k) and not more than 0.40 W/(m·k) is included.

Abstract: A pressure member contacts a heating member to form a nip part where a recording material is heated and pinched-conveyed, and includes a first elastic layer and a second elastic layer 24b having a higher thermal conductivity than that of the first elastic layer. An elastic layer is formed of a combination of the first elastic layer and the second elastic layer so that the thickness of the second elastic layer at the end portion is thicker than the thickness of the second elastic layer at the center portion in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction. Accordingly, when using the pressure member to contact the heating member to form the nip part, it is possible to reduce the difference between a center nip width and an end-portion nip width of the nip part.

Abstract: A pressing member for creating a nip in which the pressing member contacts a heating member and a recording material is heated while being nip-conveyed, includes an elastic layer and a high thermal conductive elastic layer which is provided on the elastic layer and has a thermal conductivity which is higher than that of the elastic layer. In the high thermal conductive elastic layer, a needle-like thermal conductivity-anisotropic filler and carbon nanofibers are dispersed in a heat-resistant elastic material.

Abstract: To provide a heater that can reduce fixing failure in a paper passing area while suppressing a temperature rise in a sheet non-passing area, and a fixing apparatus including the heater. Resistors are connected in parallel between two conductive patterns that are provided on a heater substrate along the longitudinal direction of the substrate, and resistors are arranged so that the shortest current path of each of the resistors can overlap the shortest current path of an adjacent resistor in the longitudinal direction of the substrate.

Abstract: A method of asbestos treatment in which an asbestos-containing waste material of arbitrary configuration can be detoxified completely and safely. The method of asbestos treatment comprises impregnating an asbestos-containing waste material with an acid so as to cause at least the asbestos at the surface of the waste material to be nonasbestous and further treating the treatment product in a cement production plant. In particular, the treatment in a cement production plant is a fusion treatment by means of a cement kiln. Therefore, not only can the asbestos-containing waste material be detoxified completely and safely but also a cement reusing the waste material can be produced.

Abstract: A method of asbestos detoxification in which an asbestos-containing waste material in any form is made harmless while preventing asbestos particles or dust from flying or scattering. The asbestos content can be easily reduced in a short time to 0.1 wt. % or lower, which is prescribed by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare. The waste can be perfectly made harmless. Also provided is an aqueous solution for asbestos detoxification which is for use in the method.

Abstract: Provided is an objective lens for which expressions 0.83<(pM/pL)<1.17 and 0.83<(pM/pT)<1.17 or expressions 0.80<(pM/pL)<1.20 and 0.86<(pM/pT)<1.14 are satisfied, where pL is the ratio of fifth-order spherical aberration to third-order spherical aberration, the spherical aberrations being caused by a difference in the thickness of a cover layer of an optical recording medium, pT is the ratio of fifth-order spherical aberration to third-order spherical aberration, the spherical aberrations being caused by a change in the temperature of an environment of the objective lens, and pM is the ratio of fifth-order spherical aberration to third-order spherical aberration, the spherical aberrations being caused by a change in incident magnification.

Abstract: A surge voltage target setting unit (103) obtains a main circuit power supply voltage (VH) of a semiconductor power conversion device based on an inter-terminal voltage (Vce) of a semiconductor switching element (100) detected by a voltage detection unit (102), and sets a control target (Vm) of a surge voltage in accordance with the obtained main circuit power supply voltage. An active gate control unit (71), when the semiconductor switching element (100) is turned off, sets a quantity of voltage modification (V1) so as to modify a gate voltage (Vg) in a direction raising the gate voltage (Vg), that is, in a direction lowering a turn-off speed, based on feedback of the inter-terminal voltage (Vce), when the inter-terminal voltage (Vce) exceeds the control target (Vm).

Abstract: A pressure member contacts with a heating member 23 to form a nip part N where a recording material P is heated and pinched-conveyed, and includes a first elastic layer 24a and a second elastic layer 24b having higher thermal conductivity than that of the first elastic layer. An elastic layer is formed in combination of the first elastic layer and the second elastic layer so that the thickness of the second elastic layer at the end portion is thicker than the thickness of the second elastic layer at the center portion in a longitudinal direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction. Accordingly, in the pressure member contacting with the heating member to form the nip part, it is possible to reduce a difference between a center nip width and an end-portion nip width of the nip part.

Abstract: The present invention provides a retroviral vector containing a membrane protein having a hemagglutinin activity. The present inventors constructed a retroviral vector pseudotyped by the membrane protein having a hemagglutinin activity. This viral vector showed gene transfer at a high efficiency into host cells. In particular, it was established that genes can be transferred thereby at a high efficiency into cells into which genes can hardly be transferred by the conventional techniques, for example, blood cells and hematopoietic cells including hematopoietic stem cells, and mucous cells including mucosa epithelial cells. The viral vector of the present invention is highly useful as a vector for gene therapy.

Abstract: A pressure roller forming a nip portion for contacting to a heating member to pinch and convey and heat recording material includes: a core metal and an elastic layer containing filler, the elastic layer containing the filler including thermal conductive filler with length of not less than 0.05 mm and not more than 1 mm and with thermal conductivity ?f in the longitudinal direction in a range of ?f?500 W/(m·k) being dispersed in not less than 5 vol % and not more than 40 vol % and the elastic layer containing the filler providing thermal conductivity ?y in the longitudinal direction perpendicular to a recording material conveyance direction being ?y?2.5 W/(m·k) and ASKER-C hardness of the filler being not more than 60 degrees, wherein a solid rubber elastic layer with thermal conductivity ? in a thickness direction being not less than 0.16 W/(m·k) and not more than 0.

Abstract: In a construction for forming images on the both surfaces of a sheet, a speed controlling device for effecting the conveyance control of the sheet between a transfer device and a fixing device controls, when the image is to be formed on a first surface, the sheet conveying speed between the transfer device and the fixing device on the basis of loop detection by a loop detecting sensor provided between the transfer device and the fixing device so that a loop formed in the sheet may be maintained within a predetermined range. Also, when the image is to be formed on a second surface, the speed controlling device controls the sheet conveying speed between the transfer device and the fixing device on the basis of the average sheet conveying speed between the transfer device and the fixing device when the image has been formed on the first surface.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a heating device which heats the image formed on the recording material, and a pressure roller which forms a nip portion in cooperation with the heating device, with the recording material being conveyed in the nip portion. The pressure roller has a heat resistive rubber in which acicular fillers with a thermal conductivity of more than 300 W/mK are dispersed in a rate of 12 to 26 volume percentage. An image heating apparatus is achieved which prevents increasing the temperature at the area through which a recording material does not pass.

Abstract: The image heating apparatus for heating an image formed on a recording material includes a heater, a supporting member for supporting the heater, a flexible rotatable member rotated while contacting with the heater, and a backup member contacting with the rotatable member. The recording material passes between the rotatable member and the backup member, and upstream of the heater of the supporting member with respect to the direction of movement of the recording material, there are provided a protruding portion protruding more toward the backup member side than the surface of contact between the heater and the rotatable member, and a groove portion provided between the protruding portion and the heater and depressed more than the surface of contact of the heater with the rotatable member, and a lubricant is contained in the groove portion. Thereby, the driving torque of the rotatable member can be suppressed.

Abstract: The present invention provides pharmaceutical- or gene-carrier compositions with reduced hemagglutinating activity. By attaching a compound to a minus-strand RNA virus envelope protein having hemagglutinating activity, a pharmaceutical- or gene-carrier composition with lower hemagglutinating activity than a composition to which the compound has not been attached can be successfully constructed. For example, an embodiment of the present invention provides a viral vector whose erythrocyte agglutination activity and hemolytic activity are significantly lowered, and whose stability in blood is remarkably elevated. The pharmaceutical- or gene-carrier compositions provided in this invention can be preferably used for transferring pharmaceuticals or genes in vivo.

Abstract: A pressure roller has a metal core, an elastic layer of cured rubber composition at least containing a water-absorbing polymer containing water and a surface releasing layer laminated on an outer periphery of the metal core. A compression amount (y) of the elastic layer satisfies the following relationship: y?0.8 (mm).