Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control unit performs a control to cause an exposing unit to expose a plurality of image bearing members at different times to form exposure regions on the plurality of image bearing members, to acquire results acquired by applying direct current voltage lower than discharge start voltage to a plurality of abutting members by an applying unit when the exposure regions pass by abutting parts against the abutting members and detected by a detecting unit, and to, based on the acquired results of the detections, acquire information regarding the surface potentials of the plurality of image bearing members.

Abstract: An electrode body, an electrode group, a secondary battery, a battery module, and a vehicle that are excellent in input/output characteristics are provided. An electrode body according to an embodiment described herein has a current collector, an electrode mixture layer on the current collector, and an inorganic particle-containing layer containing inorganic particles and a binder on the electrode mixture layer, and a binder of the inorganic particle-containing layer is segregated on a side of the electrode mixture layer.

Abstract: The electrode according to an embodiment includes an electrode layer and an organic fiber-containing layer. The organic fiber-containing layer is provided on the electrode layer. The organic fiber-containing layer includes an organic fiber. The organic fiber-containing layer has a ratio tW/tD within a range of 1.1 to 2.55, where tW is a thickness [?m] in a wet state and tD is a thickness [?m] in a dry state. A ratio dW/dD is within a range of 0.95 to 1.05, where dW is an average fiber diameter [nm] of the organic fiber included in the organic fiber-containing layer in the wet state, and dD is an average fiber diameter [nm] of the organic fiber included in the organic fiber-containing layer in the dry state.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes image forming units each of which includes an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member of a toner, applies a charging bias in a direction in which the toner moves from the image bearing member to the charging member in an image forming period, and applied a charging bias of an opposite polarity relative to that in the image formation in a cleaning period, and collects the toner by the developer bearing member. In consecutive image formation, a charging bias in the image forming period is applied in a first interval period and which is between first and second image forming periods and a second interval period which is between second and third image forming periods. An absolute value of a charging bias applied in the second interval period is larger than that applied in the first interval period.

Abstract: An image sensor comprising: a pixel array in which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged in a matrix; a plurality of signal output lines provided for each column of the pixel array; a signal readout circuit provided for each column of the pixel array; and a control circuit for controlling a signal from the unit pixel of each column in a first row to be output to any of the signal output lines, and controlling the signal output to the any of the signal output lines to be input to the signal readout circuit. The control circuit controls, for each column, a signal from the unit pixel in a second row to be output to another of the signal lines while the signal output to the any of the signal output lines is being input to the signal readout circuit.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte battery including a positive electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material-containing layer. The positive electrode active material-containing layer includes at least one lithium-nickel composite oxide and a conductive agent. The positive electrode active material-containing layer has, in a particle size distribution obtained by a laser diffraction scattering method, an average particle diameter d50 within a range of 1 ?m to 5.5 ?m, a maximum particle diameter within a range of 10 ?m to 100 ?m, a particle diameter d10 within a range of 0.5 ?m to 3 ?m, and X, represented by X=(d50?d10)/d50, within a range of 0.5 to less than 1.

Abstract: In an image forming operation of transferring one developer image to a recording material, when a plurality of image forming portions include a non-image forming portion that is an image forming portion which does not form a developer image on an image bearing member, applying means for applying a charging bias to a charging member which comes into contact with and charges the image bearing member applies a second charging bias to the charging member in the non-image forming portion, the second charging bias having a same polarity as a first charging bias for forming a developer image and being a voltage equal to or lower than a discharge start voltage.

Abstract: An image sensor with a simple configuration that generates an image to which a filter has been applied is disclosed. An image sensor comprises a plurality of pixels, each pixel including a photoelectric converter that detects incidence of single photons; and a counter that counts pulses present in an output signal from the photoelectric converter. The image sensor outputs a count value as a pixel value, wherein the count value is obtained by counting the pulses present in the output signals from a plurality of the photoelectric converters in a first period, or by counting the pulses present in the output signal from a single photoelectric converter in the first period and a second period.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus which includes a plurality of image forming units each including an image bearing member, a contact charging member, and a developer bearing member for forming toner of normal polarity, and which, in a printing operation, applies a charging bias having a first direction, in a cleaning operation, applies a charging bias having a second direction, and recovers residual toner remaining on the image bearing member without used for printing by the developer bearing member, before performing the cleaning operation, when successively performing the printing operation on a plurality of recording materials including a first recording material and a second recording material, which is used for printing following the first recording material, the charging voltage larger in absolute value in the printing operation for the second recording material than in the printing operation for the first recording material is applied.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte battery. The nonaqueous electrolyte battery includes a container member, a positive electrode stored in the container member, a negative electrode stored in the container member, and a nonaqueous electrolyte stored in the container member. A gas composition in the container member when a charge ratio of the nonaqueous electrolyte battery is set to 30%, and the nonaqueous electrolyte battery is left stand at 35° C. for 24 hrs satisfies 0.02(cc/g)?VH2?0.01(cc/g) ??(1) 0.05?VC3H6VCO?0.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, there is provided a nonaqueous electrolyte battery including a positive electrode. The positive electrode includes a positive electrode active material-containing layer. The positive electrode active material-containing layer includes at least one lithium-nickel composite oxide and a conductive agent. The positive electrode active material-containing layer has, in a particle size distribution obtained by a laser diffraction scattering method, an average particle diameter d50 within a range of 1 ?m to 5.5 ?m, a maximum particle diameter within a range of 10 ?m to 100 ?m, a particle diameter d10 within a range of 0.5 ?m to 3 ?m, and X, represented by X=(d50?d10)/d50, within a range of 0.5 to less than 1.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using a contact charging method includes a control unit capable of executing cleaning in a post-rotation step at the end of a job and in an inter-image step during execution of the job. The cleaning involves moving toner adhering to a charging member from the charging member to an image bearing member. The job is a series of operations started by a predetermined start instruction and involving forming an image on one or more recording materials and outputting the one or more recording materials. When an instruction to start the next job is input during execution of cleaning in the post-rotation step, the control unit stops the cleaning in the middle of the execution, starts the next job, and adjusts timing for executing subsequent cleaning on the basis of information relating to the amount of cleaning executed before being stopped in the middle of the execution.

Abstract: A semiconductor device that can hold ESD immunity with a simple configuration is provided. The semiconductor device includes a power supply wiring, a ground wiring, an input circuit coupled between the power supply wiring and the ground wiring, an input pad which is coupled with the input circuit and to which a negative voltage lower than a voltage supplied to the ground wiring can be inputted, a plurality of first diodes provided between the ground wiring and the input pad, and a second diode provided between the input pad and the power supply wiring. A reverse bias breakdown voltage of the second diode is greater than a reverse bias breakdown voltage of each of the first diodes.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using a contact charging method includes a control unit capable of executing cleaning in a post-rotation step at the end of a job and in an inter-image step during execution of the job. The cleaning involves moving toner adhering to a charging member from the charging member to an image bearing member. The job is a series of operations started by a predetermined start instruction and involving forming an image on one or more recording materials and outputting the one or more recording materials. When an instruction to start the next job is input during execution of cleaning in the post-rotation step, the control unit stops the cleaning in the middle of the execution, starts the next job, and adjusts timing for executing subsequent cleaning on the basis of information. relating to the amount of cleaning executed before being stopped in the middle of the execution.

Abstract: A threaded metal container capable of improving strength (neck portion transverse rigidity) in a direction perpendicular to a container axis at a neck portion composed of a mouth portion and a shoulder portion. The container includes a body portion, a shoulder portion, and a mouth portion. The mouth portion includes a base portion connected to an upper end of the shoulder portion, and a skirt valley portion, a skirt portion, and a threaded portion, which are above the base portion. The base portion 8 includes a protruding portion protruding radially outward and has a diameter gradually increasing downward from the skirt valley portion and a bead portion radially inwardly protruding and smoothly curving downward from the protruding portion. The bead portion circumferentially extends in a linear or dotted pattern. The bead height between the protruding portion and the bead portion in the direction perpendicular to the container axis is 0.1 to 0.6 mm.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a resin case which houses a semiconductor element, a plurality of lead frames disposed in the principal plane of a base of the resin case with spaces therebetween, and a block portion disposed over a space between adjacent lead frames along the adjacent lead frames. With the semiconductor device, the disposition of the block portion makes creepage distance long, compared with a case where the block portion is not disposed and therefore a space between the adjacent lead frames is flat. Accordingly, even if metal atoms contained in the lead frames or the like migrate on an insulator or at an interface because of migration, a conduction path is hardly formed between the adjacent lead frames. That is to say, a short circuit hardly occurs between the adjacent lead frames with the block portion therebetween. This semiconductor device provides improved reliability.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a MOS transistor which is coupled between two terminals and discharges current which flows caused by generation of static electricity and a diode which is coupled between a back gate of the MOS transistor and one of the terminal and has a polarity which is reversed to the polarity of a parasitic diode which is formed between the back gate and a source of the MOS transistor.

Abstract: A control unit of an image forming apparatus controls, in an image forming mode, a potential difference obtained by subtracting the voltage applied to the developer bearing member from the voltage applied to the regulating member so that the potential difference is set to the polarity of the developer, and the control unit controls, in a lubricant discharge mode, the potential difference obtained by subtracting the voltage applied to the developer bearing member from the voltage applied to the regulating member so that the potential difference is set to the polarity of the lubricant or “0”.

Abstract: In an image forming apparatus, a control unit performs a control to cause an exposing unit to expose a plurality of image bearing members at different times to form exposure regions on a plurality of image bearing members, to acquire results acquired by applying direct current voltage lower than discharge start voltage to a plurality of abutting members by an applying unit when the exposure region pass by the abutting parts against the abutting members and detected by a detecting unit, and to, based on the acquired results of the detections, acquire information regarding the surface potentials of the a plurality of image bearing members.

Abstract: Particularly provided is a method and a system for screening nanoparticles which allow effective search of conditions for surface modification of nanoparticles and reduction in the time, the labor, and the amount of a sample required for the surface modification compared with conventional techniques. The method for screening nanoparticles includes the steps of: dividing a nanoparticle suspension for a respective plurality of containers provided in a containment receptacle; performing surface modification on nanoparticles under different conditions for the respective containers; preparing evaluation samples by adding a dispersion medium into each container and mixing the nanoparticles and the dispersion medium; and performing evaluation on the evaluation sample in each container by optical analysis.