Abstract: A method of assessing the risk for development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) or an inflammatory disease in a patient comprises (i) incubating a sample of body fluid with donor particles, wherein the donor particles are coated with a lipid and a first quantity of detectably labeled, non-exchangeable lipid probe (NELP); (ii) separating the detectably labeled NELP-associated HDL into a first portion and the donor particles into a second portion; (iii) measuring the second quantity of detectably labeled NELP in the first portion; (iv) determining a detectably labeled NELP efflux value for the patient; and (v) comparing the detectably labeled NELP efflux value for the patient to a reference standard. Related methods of lowering the risk for development of CVD or an inflammatory disease in a patient and methods of measuring the quantity of functional HDL in a sample of body fluid are also provided.

Abstract: An image capturing apparatus includes a plurality of pixels, a signal line connected to the plurality of pixels, and a limiter circuit configured to limit an amplitude of the signal at the signal line. A first pixel in the plurality of pixels sequentially outputs a noise signal, a focus detection signal, and an image capturing signal to the signal line. A second pixel in the plurality of pixels sequentially outputs a noise signal and an image capturing signal to the signal line, and wherein a potential of the signal at the signal line is set to a potential by the limiter circuit during a period after the second pixel outputs the noise signal and before the second pixel outputs the image capturing signal.

Abstract: In order to elucidate the mechanism of malignant alteration of pancreatic cancer caused by BACH1, changes in the gene expression depending on the expression level of BACH1 in the pancreatic cancer cell line were clarified by RNA sequencing. As a result of experiments on in vitro migration ability and invasion ability and in vivo orthotopic transplantation, BACH1 was found to be used as an excellent biomarker for epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition of pancreatic cancer when used alone or in combination with its downstream regulator FOXA1.

Abstract: To suppress the deterioration of the characteristics of a MIMO equalizer as well as minimizing an increase in circuit size in spite of the occurrence of signal spectrum narrowing and asymmetric spectrum degradation, a wavelength-division multiplexing optical transmission system (10) according to an embodiment includes a transmitter (1) that generates one channel signal by wavelength-division multiplexing a plurality of subcarrier signals so as to overlap each other and transmits the channel signal, and a receiver (2) that separates a received channel signal into subcarrier signals, and performs equalization using an MIMO equalizer (3) including a FDE-MIMO equalizer (4) and a TDE-MIMO equalizer (5) on each of the separated subcarrier signals.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a frame, which is a part of a main assembly frame, extending along a predetermined plane, a cover provided outside of the frame and extending along the predetermined plane and a circuit board, provided between the frame and the cover with in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane and extending along the predetermined plane. An opening portion penetrating the circuit board is formed in the circuit board. The frame includes a first abutting portion protruding toward the circuit board and the cover includes a second abutting portion protruding toward the circuit board. The first and second abutting portions are opposite to each other via the circuit board and positioned in an area where the opening portion of the circuit board is sandwiched therebetween in the direction perpendicular to the predetermined plane.

Abstract: Provided is a reagent cartridge configured to be set in a genetic testing device and the reagent cartridge includes a plurality of reagent containers in which a reagent is filled, and a holder formed with a plurality of opening parts in which the reagent containers are loaded and configured to hold the reagent containers loaded in the opening parts, in which the holder holds the reagent containers with an allowance in a vertical direction in a state in which the reagent cartridge is set in the genetic testing device.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion provided with an opening portion through which a cartridge is removably mounted and a cover member opening and closing the opening portion. An original reading portion is pivotable about a first rotation axis. The cover member is pivotable about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis. A force is applied to pivot the original reading portion so that an engagement portion of the original reading portion slides on a sliding face of the cover member to apply a force from the engagement portion to the sliding face to pivot the cover member. In a cross section orthogonal to the first rotation axis, a first portion of the sliding face approaches the original reading portion from one end side on which the first and the second rotation axes are provided toward an opposite side.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a printing unit; a bottle which is rotationally driven in a predetermined rotation direction, whereby a waste developer conveyed from the printing unit to an opening is accommodated inside and the waste developer inside is conveyed to a second end side in a longitudinal direction; and a capacitive sensor having a first detection electrode and a first ground electrode arranged in parallel, where a first detection surface of an electrostatic capacitance formed by the first detection electrode and the first ground electrode is arranged to directly face a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the bottle which is positioned obliquely upward with respect to a center line of rotation of the bottle in a region which moves from a bottom to a top when the bottle rotates in the predetermined rotation direction.

Abstract: A zoom lens according to the present invention includes sequentially from an object side: a first lens group having negative refractive power, and a second lens group having positive refractive power, and performs a magnification change operation by changing a gap between the adjacent lens groups. The zoom lens has specific optical characteristics represented by four expressions relating to the second lens group.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus including: a printing unit; a bottle which is rotationally driven in a predetermined rotation direction, whereby the waste developer conveyed from the printing unit to the opening is accommodated inside and the waste developer inside is conveyed to a second end side in the longitudinal direction; and a capacitive sensor having a first detection electrode and a first ground electrode arranged in parallel, where a first detection surface of an electrostatic capacitance formed by the first detection electrode and the first ground electrode is arranged to directly face a portion of an outer peripheral surface of the bottle which is positioned obliquely upward with respect to a center line of rotation of the bottle in a region which moves from a bottom to a top when the bottle rotates in the predetermined rotation direction.

Abstract: In an imaging device according to the present disclosure, during a period in which a signal from an amplifier transistor is output from a pixel via a select transistor, the gate voltage of the capacitance addition transistor changes frons the first voltage VH to the second voltage VL, and the amount of voltage change per time until the gate voltage changes from the first voltage VH to the second voltage VL is smaller than the amount of voltage change per unit time until the gate voltage changes from the second voltage VL to the first voltage VH.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing a copolymer that produces an aromatic vinyl-diene copolymer having a low glass transition temperature, and a method of producing a rubber composition using the method. The subject method produces an aromatic vinyl-diene copolymer having a content of repeating units derived from an aromatic vinyl in an amount of 18 mass % or greater, and among repeating units derived from a diene, a proportion of a vinyl structure of 8 mol % or less, a proportion of a 1,4-trans structure of 60 mol % or less, and a proportion of a 1,4-cis structure from 40 to 95 mol %, the method including copolymerizing a monomer containing an aromatic vinyl and a diene using an initiator prepared with an organolithium compound, an alkylaluminum, a metal alcoholate, and at least one polar compound selected from the group consisting of water and an alcohol.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion provided with an opening portion through which a cartridge is removably mounted and a cover member opening and closing the opening portion. An original reading portion is pivotable about a first rotation axis. The cover member is pivotable about a second rotation axis parallel to the first rotation axis. A force is applied to pivot the original reading portion so that an engagement portion of the original reading portion slides on a sliding face of the cover member to apply a force from the engagement portion to the sliding face to pivot the cover member. In a cross section orthogonal to the first rotation axis, a first portion of the sliding face approaches the original reading portion from one end side on which the first and the second rotation axes are provided toward an opposite side.

Abstract: An electrostatic chuck includes: an electrically-conductive base plate including a first part, a second part at an outer circumference of the first part, and a gas inlet path for introducing a cooling gas; a first electrostatic chuck part configured to clamp a wafer on the first part, including a ceramic dielectric substrate that includes an embedded first clamping electrode and at least one through-hole communicating with the gas inlet path; and a second electrostatic chuck part configured to clamp a focus ring on the second part, including a ceramic layer that includes at least one through-hole for introducing a cooling gas and that includes at least a first layer contacting the focus ring when the second electrostatic chuck part clamps the focus ring, in which the first layer is less dense than the ceramic dielectric substrate. Thereby, the electrostatic chuck can increase the device yield.

Abstract: In order to enable efficient utilization of an available bandwidth by properly estimating the available bandwidth under conditions in which the available bandwidth significantly changes upon occurrence of communication path switching, an available bandwidth estimation is performed by estimating a current available bandwidth based on historical communication state information i.e.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an apparatus body, a sheet supporting portion, a sheet feeding portion configured to feed a sheet supported on the sheet supporting portion, a sheet regulation portion configured to regulate a position of the sheet in a width direction, an image forming portion including an exposing portion configured to expose a charged surface of an image bearing member, the image forming portion being configured to form an image on the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion, and a frame member provided inside the apparatus body. A position of the exposing portion is determined with respect to the frame member. A position of the sheet regulation portion is determined with respect to the frame member.

Abstract: A photoelectric conversion device includes: pixels forming columns and each configured to output a pixel signal; and comparator units provided to respective columns and each configured to receive the pixel signal from the pixels on a corresponding column and the reference signal. Each comparator unit includes a comparator having a first input node that receives the pixel signal and a second input node that receives the reference signal, a first capacitor that connects a reference signal line and the second input node, a second capacitor whose one electrode is connected to the second input node, and a select unit that connects the other electrode of the second capacitor to either the reference signal line or a reference voltage line. The other electrode of the second capacitor is connected to the reference signal line during first mode AD conversion and connected to the reference voltage line during second mode AD conversion.