Abstract: An agent for increasing the sugar content and/or decreasing the acid content of plant fruits has as a substantial main component thereof a fluorine-containing .beta.-indolebutyric acid compound represented by the general formula ##STR1## (wherein Y stands for one member selected from the class consisting of hydroxyl group, alkoxy group, amino group, and alkyl amino group and R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently stand for one member selected from the class consisting of hydrogen atom, halogen atom, alkyl group, alkoxy group, aryl group, nitro group, amino group, and alkyl amino group). A method for producing ripe fruits having a high sugar content and/or a low acid content by causing the fluorine-containing .beta.-indolebutyric acid compound mentioned above to adhere to unripe fruits on plants and plants bearing fruits and subsequently allowing the fruits to mature.

Abstract: A thermal transfer recording and correction method, in which a thermal transfer ink layer is placed in contact with a transfer-receiving medium and is heated by heat generating elements of a thermal head in a pattern corresponding to a recording signal, is improved by preheating the ink layer. The ink layer, which is characterized by a transfer initiation temperature, is preheated by the thermal head which is heated by a preheating means. When a region of the ink layer is then further heated by the heat generating elements, the temperature of that region has a maximum and a minimum both within a range extending from the transfer initiation temperature to about 40.degree. C. higher than the transfer initiation temperature. Since the maximum and minimum temperatures are within a suppressed temperature range, an erroneous image can be more easily peeled off the transfer-receiving medium.

Abstract: An image formation apparatus provided according to the present invention does not generate any printing density streaks in low density areas of an image and is therefore capable of outputting stabilized images without any density unevennesses and density streaks in any tonality. The apparatus is structured so as to correct density signals in accordance with a correction table 1 for indicating the recording characteristics of each of the recording elements of the head and the recording characteristics indicated by this correction table 1, and to drive the recording head in accordance with a correction table 2, which does not allow the foregoing corrections to be made when the density signals are lower than a given density, and the density signals corrected by this correction table 2.

Abstract: A substituted fluorine-containing .beta.-indolebutyric acid compound represented by the formula: ##STR1## wherein Y stands for one member selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl group, alkoxy group, amino group, and alkylamino group, at least one of R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 stands for one member selected from the group consisting of halogen atom, alkyl group, alkoxy group, aryl group, nitro group, amino group, and alkylamino group, and the remaining one, if any, for a hydrogen atom, a plant growth regulating agent having as a substantial main component thereof the substituted fluorine-containing .beta.-indolebutyric acid compound, and a method for regulating the length of roots sprouting from plant seeds and the length of hypocotyls by causing adhesion of the substituted fluorine-containing .beta.-indolebutyric acid compound to the plant seeds.

Abstract: An image recording apparatus for recording an image by application of light beam to a photosensitive member includes a photosensitive member; a light source for emitting first and second beams, one of the first and second beams bearing image information; and a scanner for scanning the photosensitive member with the first and second beams with a time interval so that they are overlapped on the photosensitive material.

Abstract: An image is formed by subjecting to imagewise exposure an image forming medium containing at least a heat-diffusible coloring matter, a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt, a reducing agent, a polymerizable polymer precursor and a photopolymerization initiator; heating the image forming medium thus treated; subjecting it to polymerization exposure to form a polymerized area and an unpolymerized area in the image forming medium; separating the polymerized area from the unpolymerized area; and superposing an image receiving medium onto the unpolymerized area to transfer the heat-diffusible coloring matter in the unpolymerized area to the image receiving medium.

Abstract: An image forming method is conducted by subjecting a dry silver salt image forming medium to imagewise exposure and heating to form a light-absorbing organic compound. Thereafter, the medium is subjected to polymerization exposure to imagewise polymerize the medium based on the formation pattern of the light-absorbing compound. The light-absorbing organic compound has specific sensitivities to light in order to maximize contrast.

Abstract: An image forming method, comprises the steps of, using an image forming medium containing a heat-diffusible coloring matter, a polymerizable polymer precursor and a polymerization initiator; causing said polymerizable polymer precursor of said image forming medium to selectively polymerize to form a latent image comprised of a polymerized area and an unpolymerized area; andheating said image forming medium on which said latent image has been formed and which is laid overlapping on an image receiving medium, so as to satisfy the following formula (A):Tg.sub.1 .ltoreq.Ttrans.ltoreq.Tg.sub.2 (A)wherein Ttrans represents a temperature of said image forming medium, Tg.sub.1 represents a glass transition point of said unpolymerized area, and Tg.sub.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus using dry silver salt material includes a photosensitive member having a base material and reducing material, photosensitive silver halide and organic silver salt which are on the base material; optical system for projecting information light onto the photosensitive member; auxiliary exposure optical system for uniformly exposing an entire surface of the photosensitive member; and a heating for uniformly heating the photosensitive member.

Abstract: An image forming medium comprising an image forming layer comprising at least a heat-diffusible coloring matter, a polymerizable binder and a polymerization initiator, wherein the polymerizable binder has a film-forming property and contains three or more polymerizing functional groups per one molecule.

Abstract: A photosensitive material comprises a photosensitive and heat-developable element and a photopolymerizable element which are contained in the same layer. The photopolymerizable element comprises at least a polymerizable polymer precursor having a melting point of 35.degree. C. or more. The photosensitive material is exposed to light with at least one wavelength within the wavelength region of from 400 nm to 900 nm, heated at 60.degree. to 180.degree. C., and exposed to light with at least one wavelength within the wavelength region of from 250 to 700 nm, and thus an unexposed area in the photosensitive layer which is an area not exposed to light with at least one wavelength within the wavelength region of from 400 nm to 900 nm is polymerized.

Abstract: A dry process silver salt photosensitive member is disclosed. The photosensitive member has a heat-developable photosensitive element containing at least (1) and organic silver salt, (2) a reducing agent, and (3) at least one of a photosensitive silver halide and a photosensitive silver halide-forming component on a support. The heat-developable photosensitive element further contains a compound represented by the general formula (I) and a compound represented by the general formula (II).

Abstract: An image is formed by securing an image receiving medium onto a support member, superposing onto the image receiving medium an image forming medium containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt, a reducing agent, a polymerizable polymer precursor and a photopolymerization initiator, subjecting the image forming medium to imagewise exposure, heating the image forming medium thus treated, subjecting it to polymerization exposure to form a polymer image, and transferring a heat-diffusible coloring matter to the image receiving medium, corresponding with said polymer image.

Abstract: An image forming method comprising;subjecting an image forming medium containing at least a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt, a reducing agent, a polymerizable polymer precursor and a photopolymerization initiator, to imagewise exposure, followed by heating to produce a light-absorbing organic compound in said image forming medium; and subjecting said image forming medium in which said light-absorbing organic compound has been produced, to polymerization exposure to cause said polymerizable polymer precursor to polymerize; where the light-absorbing characteristics of said light-absorbing organic compound are utilized to suppress the polymerization of said polymerizable polymer precursor at the area at which said light-absorbing organic compound has been produced.

Abstract: A thermal transfer material, comprising a support, and a heat-transferable ink layer. The heat-transferable ink layer includes at least two species of domains of heat-fusible materials. The thermal transfer material provides a transfer image of high density and clear edges even on a recording medium having poor surface smoothness, particularly when peeled off the recording medium within 50 milli-seconds after the heat application.

Abstract: A heat-sensitive transfer medium comprising a support and at least two heat-transferable ink layers including a first and a second ink layer. The first ink layer has relative adhesions with the second ink layer and the support which are reverse at a higher temperature from those at a lower temperature. When the heat-sensitive transfer medium is superposed with paper, a heat energy is applied, and the transfer medium is separated from the paper; the second ink layer is selectively transferred or both the first and second ink layers are transferred to the paper depending on the length of time from the heat application until the separation of the transfer medium, whereby two color images can be formed by a single transfer medium.

Abstract: This invention relates to an image forming device by use of dry process silver salt materials comprising a sheet-shaped photosensitive member having a monomer and a photopolymerization initiator on a substrate, a reducing agent, a photosensitive silver halide and an organic silver salt; a supply means of said photosensitive member; an irradiation means provided along the moving route of the photosensitive member in the order mentioned from its upstream side for irradiating a light information on said photosensitive member; a heat means for heating said photosensitive member, and a uniform exposure means for exposing uniformly said photosensitive member for forming a polymer image on said photosensitive member.

Abstract: A photosensitive material comprises a photosensitive and heat-developable element and a photopolymerizable element which are contained in the same layer. The photopolymerizable element comprises at least a polymerizable polymer precursor having a melting point of 35.degree. C. or more. The photosensitive material is exposed to light with at least one wavelength within the wavelength region of from 400 nm to 900 nm, heated at 60.degree. to 180.degree. C., and exposed to light with at least one wavelength within the wavelength region of from 250 to 700 nm, and thus an unexposed area in the photosensitive layer which is an area not exposed to light with at least one wavelength within the wavelength region of from 400 nm to 900 nm is polymerized.

Abstract: A photosensitive material comprises a photosensitive and heat-developable element, and further a light-to-heat conversion element or a nonlinear optical function element. The photosensitive and heat-developable element comprises at least a photosensitive silver halide, an organic silver salt and a reducing agent. The light-to-heat conversion element comprises at least one of an inorganic metal and an organic coloring matter. The nonlinear optical function element comprises a comprises a compound selected from the group consisting of an inorganic crystal, an organic crystal, a polymer, a polymeric liquid crystal, a polymeric composition and a polymeric liquid crystal composition. An image forming method employing the photosensitive material comprises the steps of imagewise exposing the material by use of a laser beam, heating the material and forming a polymer image on the material.

Abstract: A photosensitive member suitable for multi-color image formation is obtained by forming a plurality of photosensitive layers laminated on a substrate. Each photosensistive layer comprises a matrix phase and particles dispersed therein. The matrix phase contains a photosensitive silver salt, an organic silver salt and a reducing agent which react with each other on exposure and heating to form a light-absorbing organic compound. The particles contain a heat-diffusive colorant, a polymerizable polymer precursor and a photopolymerization initiator. The light-absorbing organic compound in a photosensitive layer being capable of absorbing a wavelength of light to which the photopolymerization initiator in the photosensitive layer is sensitive. Because the heat-diffusive colorant, the polymerizer and the initiator are contained in the particles, the diffusion of the heat-diffusive colorant can be effectively controlled to prevent color fog.