Abstract: The composition, in accordance with the present invention, for producing a plant body having an improved sugar content includes glutathione, a polynucleotide encoding ?-glutamylcysteine synthetase, or a polynucleotide encoding glutathione-binding plastid type fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase. The composition preferably includes oxidized glutathione. This allows provision of a composition for easily producing a plant body having an improved sugar content.

Abstract: A separator having a structure in which a resin layer is formed at least on one principal plane of a base material layer, wherein the resin layer has an inorganic substance is provided. A non-aqueous electrolyte battery in which a cathode and an anode are arranged through the separator so as to face each other is also provided.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a rotatable member; a heater contactable to a surface of the rotatable member to heat the rotatable member; and a back-up member cooperative with the rotatable member to form a nip for nipping and feeding a recording material carrying an image, wherein a position of a peak in a pressure distribution with respect to a rotational direction of the rotatable member is in an upstream, with respect to the rotational direction, of a central portion of a contact region between the rotatable member and the heater with respect to the rotational direction.

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: The image forming apparatus has a heat member for heating an unfixed image and is configured so that a longitudinal center of the heat member becomes a conveyance center of the recording material, the image forming apparatus including a central portion temperature detection part adjacent to the conveyance center, an end portion temperature detection part for detecting an end portion temperature of the heat member, and a width detection part for detecting a lateral width of the recording material, wherein the width detection part is disposed at a side opposite to a side at which the end portion temperature detection part is disposed with respect to the conveyance center position of the recording material. The image forming apparatus achieves the control for error setting of the recording material based on the width detection part and the end portion temperature detection part.

Abstract: It is found that a transformed plant into which a ?-glutamylcysteine synthetase gene has been introduced is increased in at least one of the number of flowers and the number of seeds in comparison with a wild-type plant, and is therefore increased in seed yield. Based on this finding, the present invention elucidates the function of a product of a plant-derived ?-glutamylcysteine synthetase gene and provides a technique for producing a plant having an increased seed yield.

Abstract: A plant growth regulator containing glutathione allows increasing harvest index. This provides a technique for specifying a control factor for a plant, thereby effectively controlling germination, growth, anthesis etc. of the plant.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus for heating a toner image formed on a recording material is constituted by a roller contactable with a toner image carrying surface of the recording material; a heating member for heating the roller, the heating member contacting a surface of the roller, wherein the toner image formed on the recording material is heated in contact with the roller; and a driving mechanism for moving the heating member to a first position contacting the roller and a second position, contacting the roller different from the first position with respect to a tangential direction of the roller.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus has a heat member configured so that a longitudinal center becomes a conveyance center of the recording material, the apparatus also having a central portion temperature detection part for detecting a temperature of the heat member corresponding to the conveyance center or adjacent thereto, a one side end portion temperature detection part for detecting one end portion temperature at one side in a longitudinal direction of the heat member, and an other side end portion temperature detection part for detecting an other end portion temperature on the other side in the longitudinal direction of the heat member, and a control part for controlling the image forming apparatus based on heat member temperature information detected by the central portion temperature detection part, the one side end portion temperature detection part, and the other side end portion temperature detection part.

Abstract: An X-ray diagnostic system is provided, which uses X-rays to image the lower limb of an object under conditions suitable for a flow of an X-ray contrast agent injected into the object. In the system, a C-shaped arm supports both an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector so that an object-laid tabletop is located between both the tube and the detector. For instance, one of the tabletop and the C-shaped arm is relatively moved with respect to the other so that the object is imaged along a body-axis direction thereof. The apparatus is able to perform a fluoroscopic scan to obtain a body-axis directional fluoroscopic image of the agent-injected object and to set imaging parameters, region by region in the body-axis direction, necessary for an imaging scan using the fluoroscopic image. The imaging parameters are used for the imaging scan of the agent-injected object.

Abstract: Disclosed is a transgenic plant improved in growth ability and disease resistance. Also disclosed is a method for production of the transgenic plant. It is found that a transgenic plant having DNA encoding a glutathione-binding plastid-type fructose-1,6-bisphosphate aldolase introduced therein is improved in growing ability and disease resistance compared to a wild-type one.

Abstract: An image heating apparatus includes a contact-sliding member parallel to a generatrix of a heating roller and brought into contact with the heating roller configured to heat a toner image on a recording material. An inlet space and an outlet space are formed at the upstream and downstream ends, respectively, of a contact area. A cleaning member, provided on the downstream side of the contact area, cleans the surface of the heating roller to remove toner and paper dust from the surface of the heating roller.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a cathode that is placed opposite an anode via a separator, an open circuit voltage in the full charge state is within a range of 4.25 to 6.00 V per a pair of the cathode and the anode, the separator includes a base material layer which includes a polyolefin resin material and a surface layer which is provided at least on the surface at the side of the cathode of the base material layer and includes at least one selected from the group including polyvinylidene fluoride, polytetrafluoroethylene, and polypropylene, and at least one selected from the group including aramid, polyimide, and ceramics is present on the outermost surface of the surface layer.

Abstract: A vibrating bowl and the like are provided which are capable of accurately counting the number of objects to be fed. The vibrating bowl (10) includes: a concave portion (10a) capable of storing therein collectivity of objects (15) to be fed; a feed passage (20) capable of feeding the objects (15) within the concave portion (10a) by vibrating the objects (15); and a step portion (26) configured to cause the objects to be ejected outside of the concave portion (10a) in a direction substantially perpendicular and downwardly oblique to a feed direction in which those objects (15) which are present in the vicinity of a termination of the feed passage (20) are fed.

Abstract: A method of regulating flowering of a plant by applying an effective amount of a substance that affects the synthesis or amount of glutathione in cells to the plant and cultivating the plant under conditions suitable for growth.

Abstract: A heat-resistant insulating layer-provided separator includes a polyolefin layer and a heat-resistant insulating layer formed on one or both surfaces of the polyolefin layer and containing a heat-resistant resin and an oxidation-resistant ceramic particle. The heat-resistant insulating layer contains the oxidation-resistant ceramic particle in a proportion of from 60 to 90%.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus prevents defective fixing of a toner image from occurring and shortens a printout time for a first sheet by determining a start timing for conveying the recording medium to a transferring position of the toner image in accordance with a warm-up state of a fixing unit, a voltage state of a power supply, and an environmental temperature.

Abstract: A paraquat resistance gene and a vascular tissue- and trichome-specific promoter are provided. The paraquat resistance gene and the vascular tissue- and trichome-specific promoter are isolated by identifying and analyzing genes of Arabidopsis thaliana.

Abstract: A method of regulating flowering of a plant by applying an effective amount of a substance that affects the synthesis or amount of glutathione in cells to the plant and cultivating the plant under conditions suitable for growth.

Abstract: The optical transmission equipment includes: a demultiplexer for demultiplexing a transmitted wavelength-multiplexed optical signal to first and second optical signals; a first variable dispersion compensation unit; a second variable dispersion compensation unit; a first error detector; a second error detector; and a dispersion compensation control unit for controlling dispersion compensation amounts of the first and second variable dispersion compensation units based on the detection result of the first or second error detector. Upon detection of a signal error in the first optical signal, the first variable dispersion compensation unit is controlled to change from a first compensation amount to a third compensation amount, and the second variable dispersion compensation unit is controlled to change from a second compensation amount to a fourth compensation amount.