Abstract: A swallowing movement measuring device measures an examinee's swallowing movement. The device measures a movement of the examinee's larynx when the examinee swallows a food bolus. This device has a capacitive sensor to be brought into contact with a body skin of the examinee's laryngeal part, and a measuring unit that measures a change of the capacitive sensor in capacitance. This capacitive sensor includes a sensor body comprising sheet-like dielectric layer, a first electrode layer and a second electrode layer. The first and the second electrode layers are formed on a top surface and a bottom surface of the dielectric layer respectively, and are at least partially opposed to each other across the dielectric layer. The partially opposed portions of the electrode layers constitute a detection portion. The sensor body is reversibly deformable to change areas of the top and bottom surfaces of the dielectric layer.

Abstract: A toner is provided that comprises a colorant and a binder resin, wherein the binder resin comprises a polyester resin that is prepared by a polycondensation reaction in the presence of at least a titanium-containing catalyst expressed by General Formula (II) or (II), the toner has a volume average particle diameter of 2.0 ?m to 10.0 ?m and a ratio Dv/Dn within a range of 1.00 to 1.

Abstract: An image forming method producing images at a speed of from 500 to 1,700 mm/sec, including charging an image bearer; irradiating the charged image bearer to form an electrostatic latent image thereon; developing the electrostatic latent image with a developer comprising a toner, to form a toner image on the image bearer; transferring the toner image onto a recording medium; cleaning the toner remaining on the image bearer after the transferring step; and fixing the toner image on the recording medium, wherein the binder resin includes a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous resin, wherein a peak ratio (W/R) of a specific peak height (W) of the crystalline polyester resin to a specific peak height (R) of the amorphous resin is from 0.050 to 0.

Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner excellent in blocking resistance at high temperature and humidity, as well as in low temperature-fixing property, having a polyester resin toner binder. Provided is the electrostatic image developing toner containing at least one noncrystalline polyester resin and a crystalline polyester resin, wherein the polyester resins are formed in the presence of at least one titanium-containing catalyst expressed in the following Formulas: Ti(—X)m(—OH)n O?Ti(—X)p(—OR)q where X is a residue resulting from removing an H atom in one hydroxyl group from (poly)alkanolamine having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, R represents an H atom or an alkyl group that has 1 to 8 carbon atoms and may contain 1 to 3 ether bonds, m, n, p, and q are integers; m, n, p, and q are 1-4, 0-3, 1-2, 0-1, respectively; and the sum of m and n, and p and q are 4 and 2, respectively.

Abstract: A toner is provided including a binder resin; a release agent; a colorant; and a fatty acid amide compound, wherein the binder resin includes: an amorphous polyester (A) having a softening point of from 70 to 140° C.; an amorphous polyester (B) having a softening point of from 120 to 190° C.; and a crystalline polyester (C), and wherein the following relationship is satisfied: TmC<Tm(Asp), wherein TmC represents a softening point of the crystalline polyester (C) and Tm (Asp) represents a softening point of the fatty acid amide compound; and a developer and an image forming apparatus using the toner.

Abstract: A toner is provided that comprises a colorant and a binder resin, wherein the binder resin comprises a polyester resin that is prepared by a polycondensation reaction in the presence of at least a titanium-containing catalyst expressed by General Formula (II) or (II), the toner has a volume average particle diameter of 2.0 ?m to 10.0 ?m and a ratio Dv/Dn within a range of 1.00 to 1.

Abstract: Provided is an electrostatic image developing toner excellent in blocking resistance at high temperature and humidity, as well as in low temperature-fixing property, having a polyester resin toner binder. Provided is the electrostatic image developing toner containing at least one noncrystalline polyester resin and a crystalline polyester resin, wherein the polyester resins are formed in the presence of at least one titanium-containing catalyst expressed in the following Formulas: Ti(—X)m(—OH)n O?Ti(—X)p(—OR)q where X is a residue resulting from removing an H atom in one hydroxyl group from (poly)alkanolamine having 2 to 12 carbon atoms, R represents an H atom or an alkyl group that has 1 to 8 carbon atoms and may contain 1 to 3 ether bonds, m, n, p, and q are integers; m, n, p, and q are 1-4, 0-3, 1-2, 0-1, respectively; and the sum of m and n, and p and q are 4 and 2, respectively.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus producing images at a speed of from 500 to 1,700 mm/sec, including an image bearer; a charger; an irradiator; an image developer developing an electrostatic latent image with a developer including a toner including a binder resin and a colorant; a transferer; a cleaner; and a fixer, wherein the binder resin includes a crystalline polyester resin and an amorphous resin, wherein a peak ratio (W/R) of a specific peak height (W) of the crystalline polyester resin to a specific peak height (R) of the amorphous resin is from 0.050 to 0.555, and a toner transfer rate T (%) determined by the following formula (1) is from 75 to 100%: T(%)=(V?A)×100/V ??(1) wherein V represents a toner volume (mg/cm2) of the toner image on the image bearer; and A represents a toner volume (mg/cm2) thereof remaining on the image bearer after transfer.

Abstract: A toner is provided including a binder resin; a release agent; a colorant; and a fatty acid amide compound, wherein the binder resin includes: an amorphous polyester (A) having a softening point of from 70 to 140° C.; an amorphous polyester (B) having a softening point of from 120 to 190° C.; and a crystalline polyester (C), and wherein the following relationship is satisfied: TmC<Tm(Asp), wherein TmC represents a softening point of the crystalline polyester (C) and Tm (Asp) represents a softening point of the fatty acid amide compound; and a developer and an image forming apparatus using the toner.

Abstract: Exhaust gas temperature is raised after a cold engine start so as to rapidly activate a catalyst in an exhaust line by retarding an ignition timing at which an air-fuel mixture is fired in the engine to a point after top-dead-center during a certain time interval and promoting combustion of the air-fuel mixture, thereby accelerating the catalyst to attain its effective activation temperature after the cold engine start as quickly as possibly.

Abstract: In a state in which the engine is unloaded and the number of engine rotation is low, an overlap period of time during which the intake valve and the exhaust valve are both open is extended during the cold time, as compared with during the warm time. The extension of the overlap period of time causes gases remaining in the cylinders to increase, thereby making the burning of the fuel slow and elevating the temperature of the exhaust gases to thereby elevate the temperature of the cylinder head of the engine. A variation in the number of engine rotation, particularly a decrease in the number of engine rotation, resulting from the increase in the residual gases can be prevented by increasing the amount of intake air. Further, the temperature of the cylinder head can be elevated due to an increase in the amount of the supplied fuel resulting from the increase in the amount of the intake air.

Abstract: An exhaust control system has a first catalytic device disposed in an exhaust line and a second catalytic device, which is smaller in capacity than the first catalytic device, disposed in the exhaust line upstream from the first catalytic device. The system includes a shutter device disposed in the exhaust line upstream from the first catalytic device. The shutter device is caused, by a controller, to close the exhaust line during a predetermined period from a start of engine cranking, before an engine is warmed up, and open the exhaust line after the engine is warmed up, thereby promoting activation of the catalytic devices.