Abstract: Provided is a charging member capable of suppressing the occurrence of an image defect due to the non-uniform abrasion of a photosensitive member and a stain, in a long-term use. The charging member includes an electro-conductive elastic layer as a surface layer. The electro-conductive elastic layer contains a binder and a bowl-shaped resin particle having an opening. The surface of the charging member has a concavity and a protrusion derived from the bowl-shaped resin particle. The relations represented by the following formulae are satisfied, 0.2 ? S = ? S ? ? 5 - S ? ? 1 ? S ? ? 1 ? 0.5 0.15 ? d = ? d ? ? 5 - d ? ? 1 ? d ? ? 1 ? 0.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is disclosed comprising a control circuity configured to control communication with another information processing apparatus using a first communication mode, control communication with the another information processing apparatus using a second communication mode, establish a first connection with the another information processing apparatus using the first communication mode and prompt the another processing apparatus to execute a process through the first connection after establishing the first connection with the another information processing apparatus but prior to completing, through the first connection, a second connection with the another information processing apparatus using the second communication mode.

Abstract: A fault point locating device which estimates a fault point in an electric power system, is provided with: a variation range calculating means which obtains a range of variation of sensor values and a range of variation of an impedance of the electric power system, on the basis of the sensor values, which include measured voltage values and measured current values before and after the fault and which are measured using sensors installed in the electric power system, sensor errors representing error ranges of the sensors in relation to the sensor value measurements, said impedance, and an impedance variation parameter for determining the range of variation of the impedance; a combination creating means which creates combinations of values that the sensor values and the impedance value could attain; and a fault point locating means which calculates a fault point range representing distances from the sensors to the fault point.

Abstract: An information processing apparatus is disclosed. A processor selects cross-section shape information and texture information corresponding to a view direction from a memory. The memory stores the cross-section shape information representing a cross-section shape and the texture information representing a texture of a cross-section for each of cross-sections in a vicinity of a line segment pertinent to a phenomenon portion. The processor generates visualization data used to visualize the line segment in a three dimensional image by using the cross-section shape information and the texture information being selected and displays the line segment based on the visualization data on a display part.

Abstract: A computer-readable recording medium stores a rendering program that renders simulation results and causes a computer to execute a process that includes detecting a range of physical values of a rendering element group to be rendern and of an area specified in a simulation model that is a set of elements each having a physical value for each position to be simulated; identifying from the simulation model, an adjacent element group that is a set of elements adjacent to rendering elements included in the rendering element group; determining whether the physical value of each adjacent element included in the adjacent element group is within the range; adding to the rendering element group, an adjacent element for which the physical value is determined to be included in the range; and rendering the simulation model according to the rendering element group to which the adjacent element has been added.

Abstract: A reinforcing member for a flexible printed wiring board that maintains an electromagnetic wave shielding effect and a ground effect of the printed wiring board over a long period of time. A reinforcing member is disposed opposite a predetermined part of a ground wiring pattern and includes one surface opposing and in electrical conduction with the predetermined part of the ground wiring pattern. The other surface is in electrical conduction with an external ground member which is at a ground potential, the one surface and the other surface opposing each other. The reinforcing member includes a base made of conductive metal and a surface layer formed on a surface of the base to constitute at least a part of the other surface, the surface layer has higher conductivity and corrosion resistance than the base made of metal, and the surface layer is 0.004 to 0.2 ?m thick.

Abstract: The disclosed device, which, using an electron microscope or the like, minutely observes defects detected by an optical appearance-inspecting device or an optical defect-inspecting device, can reliably insert a defect to be observed into the field of an electron microscope or the like, and can be a device of smaller scale. The electron microscope, which observes defects detected by an optical appearance-inspecting device or an optical defect-inspecting device, has a configuration incorporating an optimal microscope that re-detects defects, and a spatial filter and a distribution polarization element are inserted at the pupil plane when making dark-field observations using this optical microscope.

Abstract: To provide a sputtering apparatus capable of forming a semiconductor film in which impurities such as hydrogen or water are reduced. The sputtering apparatus is capable of forming a semiconductor film and includes a deposition chamber, a gas supply device connected to the deposition chamber, a gas refining device connected to the gas supply device, a vacuum pump for evacuating the deposition chamber, a target disposed in the deposition chamber, and a cathode disposed to face the target. The gas supply device is configured to supply at least one of an argon gas, an oxygen gas, and a nitrogen gas. The partial pressure of hydrogen molecules is lower than or equal to 0.01 Pa and the partial pressure of water molecules is lower than or equal to 0.0001 Pa in the deposition chamber.

Abstract: The impurity concentration in the oxide semiconductor film is reduced, and a highly reliability can be obtained.

Abstract: A highly reliable semiconductor device that includes a transistor including an oxide semiconductor, which can display a high-definition image and can be manufactured with a high yield. The semiconductor device includes a pixel portion including a plurality of pixels, a gate signal line driver circuit portion, and a source signal line driver circuit portion including a first circuit that controls timing of sampling video signals and a second circuit that samples the video signals in accordance with the timing and then inputs the sampled video signals to the pixels. The second circuit includes a plurality of transistors in each of which an oxide semiconductor stacked layer is used as a channel formation region, the first circuit and the second circuit are electrically connected to each other by a wiring, and the wiring is electrically connected to gates of at least two transistors of the plurality of transistors.

Abstract: A reinforcing member for a flexible printed wiring board allows a ground wiring pattern of the flexible printed wiring board to conduct with an external ground potential. The reinforcing member includes a metal base and a nickel layer formed on a surface of the metal base. The nickel layer includes phosphorus in a range from 5.0 percent by mass to 20.0 percent by mass, the rest of the nickel layer is nickel and inevitable impurities, and the nickel layer is 0.2 ?m to 0.9 ?m thick.

Abstract: A distributed controller collects measurement value data of a voltage and a current in an own node and in another node; using the measurement voltage and the current of the own node and the measurement voltage and current of another node as input data, estimates a voltage or a current as a state quantity of the electric power system regarding another node from which the measurement value data cannot be collected, and outputs the estimate values; using the measurement data, the estimate value outputted from the state estimation functional unit and a voltage target value that has been set for each node, outputs the control commands for voltage controllers based on voltage change amounts to be distributed to the voltage control devices of the nodes including the own node. The voltages in the electric power system are controlled by superposition of voltage change amounts by the voltage control devices.

Abstract: The present invention provides an anion exchange resin capable of producing an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, a binder for forming an electrode catalyst layer and a battery electrode catalyst layer. The anion exchange resin of the present invention has a hydrophobic unit, a hydrophilic unit and divalent fluorine-containing groups. The hydrophobic unit has divalent hydrophobic groups composed of one aromatic ring or a plurality of aromatic rings that are repeated via carbon-carbon bond. The hydrophilic unit has divalent hydrophilic groups composed of one aromatic ring or a plurality of aromatic rings, at least one of which has an anion exchange group, that are repeated via carbon-carbon bond. The divalent fluorine-containing groups have a specific structure and are bonded via carbon-carbon bond to the hydrophobic unit and/or the hydrophilic unit and/or a moiety other than these units.

Abstract: A computer-readable recording medium stores a rendering program that causes a computer to execute process that includes acquiring an internal organ model that is a set of elements having physical values according each position of an internal organ; setting a plurality of planes that form given angles with a line of sight from a viewpoint position, and intersect the internal organ model; assigning among the set of elements, a physical value of an element intersected by a plane set at the setting, to an element cross section that is a plane where the plane set at the setting intersects the element; and rendering, based on the physical value, the element cross section to which the physical value has been assigned.

Abstract: The disclosed device, which, using an electron microscope or the like, minutely observes defects detected by an optical appearance-inspecting device or an optical defect-inspecting device, can reliably insert a defect to be observed into the field of an electron microscope or the like, and can be a device of smaller scale. The electron microscope, which observes defects detected by an optical appearance-inspecting device or an optical defect-inspecting device, has a configuration incorporating an optimal microscope that re-detects defects, and a spatial filter and a distribution polarization element are inserted at the pupil plane when making dark-field observations using this optical microscope.

Abstract: A control command apparatus in a power system selecting a measuring apparatus according to a power system state, includes: a measuring apparatus extraction unit (112) extracting a measuring apparatus (2) between a first and second control apparatus (3) downstream the first control apparatus (3), or a measuring apparatus (2) downstream the first control apparatus (3) if no second control apparatus (2) exists, when a predetermined condition is satisfied, based on system configuration information (121), and generating measuring apparatus information (123) associating the extracted measuring apparatus (2) and the first control apparatus (3) with each other; and a control command generation unit (114) acquiring a measurement value from the measuring apparatus (2), identifying a control apparatus (3) associated with the measuring apparatus (2) as a the measurement value source based on the measuring apparatus information (123), and calculating and outputting a control parameter to the identified control apparatus (

Abstract: A powder container includes a rotatable powder storage to store powder for image formation, a conveyor to transport the powder inside the powder storage, and a scooping portion to scoop the powder inside the powder storage. The conveyor transports the powder in a powder conveyance direction parallel to a rotation axis of the powder storage toward an opening at one end of the powder storage. The scooping portion causes the powder to flow to the opening. The scooping portion includes a scooping face extending from an inner face of the powder storage toward the rotation axis of the powder storage, and a rim disposed along an inner end of the scooping face in a diameter direction of the powder storage, and at least a portion of the rim protruding downstream beyond the scooping face in a rotation direction of the powder storage.

Abstract: Stable electrical characteristics of a transistor including an oxide semiconductor layer are achieved. A highly reliable semiconductor device including the transistor is provided. The semiconductor device includes a multilayer film formed of an oxide layer and an oxide semiconductor layer, a gate insulating film in contact with the oxide layer, and a gate electrode overlapping with the multilayer film with the gate insulating film interposed therebetween. The oxide layer contains a common element to the oxide semiconductor layer and has a large energy gap than the oxide semiconductor layer. The composition between the oxide layer and the oxide semiconductor layer gradually changes.

Abstract: An endoxylanase mutant has improved thermal stability. The endoxylanase mutant having endoxylanase activity includes an amino acid sequence at least including substitution of an amino acid residue at one or more positions selected from positions corresponding to position 35, position 44, position 62, position 63, position 101, and position 102 of an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 1 in an amino acid sequence of endoxylanase derived from a filamentous fungus.

Abstract: A reinforcing member for a flexible printed wiring board that maintains an electromagnetic wave shielding effect and a ground effect of the printed wiring board over a long period of time. A reinforcing member is disposed opposite a predetermined part of a ground wiring pattern and includes one surface opposing and in electrical conduction with the predetermined part of the ground wiring pattern. The other surface is in electrical conduction with an external ground member which is at a ground potential, the one surface and the other surface opposing each other. The reinforcing member includes a base made of conductive metal and a surface layer formed on a surface of a base to constitute at least a part of the other surface, the surface layer has higher conductivity and corrosion resistance than the base made of metal, and the surface layer is 0.004 to 0.2 ?m thick.