Abstract: The present invention relates to hydrophobic silica particles including silica particles each being impregnated with a higher alcohol having 19 or more carbon atoms, and having a binding degree of the higher alcohol to the silica particles of 70% or more measured by the following measuring method: the measuring method: 1 g of the hydrophobic silica particles is dispersed in 10 mL of tetrahydrofuran, and after maintaining the dispersed state for 5 minutes, a filtered residue is washed with 20 mL of tetrahydrofuran and 20 mL of hexane and dried, and a ratio, represented by Equation (1), of a carbon content of the hydrophobic silica particles after washing to a carbon content of the hydrophobic silica particles before washing is defined as the binding degree, binding degree (%)=carbon content (%) of hydrophobic silica particles after washing/carbon content (%) of hydrophobic silica particles before washing×100 (1).

Abstract: The closed-type aquarium of the present invention includes a light transmissive container in which a vapor phase of air and a liquid phase of water are sealed. The liquid phase includes a shrimp, an aquatic plant and a microorganism. Further, to enhance efficiency of material recycling, the liquid phase includes a snail that has a different ecological niche than that of the shrimp and a plant dead body that supplements a resource essential for photosynthesis of the aquatic plant.

Abstract: A guide plate is arranged in spaced parallel relation with a recording head. A pinch roller and a paper conveyer roller are arranged upstream of the guide plate with respect to a paper feeding direction. The pinch roller takes an entrance position to provide a state wherein the rollers most easily catch paper sheet. After the rollers have caught the paper sheet, the pinch roller is displaced to take an exit position to provide a state wherein the roller deflect the paper sheet towards the guide plate.

Abstract: An ink-jet printing apparatus permits sequential ejection of printed papers without causing stain by non-dried ink, improves printing quality and permits down-sizing of the overall apparatus by simplifying a construction of a paper ejecting mechanism. An ink-jet printing apparatus includes a paper ejecting roller rotatable in a first direction for ejecting said printing medium and a second direction opposite to said first direction and an arm member arranged between said paper ejecting roller and said ejected paper stacker and movable between a first position projecting above said ejected paper stacker for supporting said printing medium from a lower side thereof, and a second position retracted from the position above said ejected paper stacker and permitting falling down of said printing medium. The ink-jet printing apparatus further includes motion force transmitting means for transmitting rotation of said paper ejecting roller in said first direction.