Abstract: An oil-resistant agent containing a modified natural product which is a bio-based compound having at least one carboxyl group and in which a hydroxyl group of a carboxyl group is substituted with an R group, or a carboxyl group is substituted with an Ra group. R group: —X—R1 or —X-D-X?—R1. Ra group: wherein X is a direct bond, —O—, —NR11—, or —S—, and R1 is a hydrocarbon group having 1-40 carbon atoms, or a polysiloxane, D is an alkylene group having 1-10 carbon atoms, X? is —C(?O)—O—, —O—(?O)—, —C(?O)—NR12—, or —NR12—C(?O)— (where, R11 and R12 are each hydrogen or an alkyl group having 1-40 carbon atoms). Also disclosed is a textile product, an oil-resistant paper, a food packaging material or a food container each including the oil-resistant agent, as well as a method of treating paper with the oil-resistant agent.

Abstract: An oil-resistant agent including a polymer (A) in which a polymer (a1) having at least one selected from a hydroxyl group and an amino group is modified with a monovalent aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 7 to 40 carbon atoms (a2). A total amount of vinyl alcohol units and vinylamine units in all repeating units of the polymer (a1) is 40 mol % or more. Further, a ratio of modification of the polymer (A) with the aliphatic hydrocarbon group (a2) is 25 to 100 mol % relative to a total amount of hydroxyl groups and amino groups of the polymer (a1). Also disclosed is a paper product treated with the oil-resistant agent, and an oil-resistant agent wherein the polymer (a1) and the aliphatic hydrocarbon group (a2) are bonded through an ester bond.

Abstract: An information processing device includes an acquisition unit that acquires sound source position information and so forth, a sound feature value extraction unit that extracts a plurality of sound feature values based on the mixed sound signal, an emphasis unit that emphasizes a sound feature value in a target sound direction based on the sound source position information, an estimation unit that estimates the target sound direction based on the sound source position information and so forth, a mask feature value extraction unit that extracts a mask feature value based on the estimated target sound direction and so forth, a generation unit that generates a target sound direction emphasis sound signal and generates a target sound direction masking sound signal, and a target sound signal output unit that outputs a target sound signal by using the target sound direction emphasis sound signal and so forth.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a first reading unit, a first guide portion, a second reading unit, and a second guide portion. The second reading unit includes a rectangular transparent member, an optical reading unit, a housing, a first and a second contact portions, a first and a second pressing members, and a protruding portion. The first and the second contact portions are protruding from a facing surface of the housing. The protruding portion, when viewed from an upstream side in a conveyance direction of a recording material passing through a conveyance path between the second reading unit and the second guide portion, is disposed between the first contact portion and the second contact portion and protruding from the facing surface of the housing, a protruding amount of the protruding portion being smaller than protruding amounts of the first and the second contact portions.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a transmitting mechanism-, a movable member, and a control portion to input a signal having first and second levels. The transmitting mechanism transmits driving force and includes a spring clutch and an electromagnetic clutch. The driving force pivotally moves the movable member. The spring clutch idles by a slackness of a spring when the rotation in a second direction is inputted to the transmitting mechanism and the movable member is regulated from pivoting at a predetermined position. The control portion inputs the signal to the transmitting mechanism such that the state electromagnetic clutch state changes the engagement state to the disengagement state through an intermediary state gradually varying a length of time where the signal of the first level is inputted into the electromagnetic clutch after the movable member reaches the predetermined position by inputting the rotation in the second direction to the transmitting mechanism.

Abstract: A speech separation device (12) of a speech separation system includes a feature amount extraction unit (121) configured to extract time-series data of a speech feature amount of mixed speech, a block division unit (122) configured to divide the time-series data of the speech feature amount into blocks having a certain time width, a speech separation neural network (1b) configured to create time-series data of a mask of each of a plurality of speakers from the time-series data of the speech feature amount divided into blocks, and a speech restoration unit (123) configured to restore the speech data of each of the plurality of speakers from the time-series data of the mask and the time-series data of the speech feature amount of the mixed speech.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a transfer portion to transfer a toner image to a recording material, a fixing portion having a heating unit and a cylindrical rotary member and to fix the toner image to the recording material, a fixing drive portion to drive the cylindrical rotary member, and a controller. In a case in which images are formed on a plurality of recording materials, the controller controls the fixing drive portion based on a time period from a time when a trailing edge of a preceding recording material passes through the fixing portion to a time when a leading edge of a subsequent recording material passes through the fixing portion so that a second rotation speed of the cylindrical rotary member when conveying the subsequent recording material becomes lower than a first rotation speed of the cylindrical rotary member when conveying the preceding recording material.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image forming portion, a sheet feeding portion, a first guiding member, a second guiding member, a driving portion, a detecting portion, and a controller. When a leading end of a sheet is detected by the detecting portion, in a case that information on a thickness of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion is a first thickness, the controller controls the driving portion so that a distance in a sheet feeding passage with respect to a thickness direction is a first distance, and in a case that the information on the thickness of the sheet fed by the sheet feeding portion is a second thickness thinner than the first thickness, the controller controls the driving portion so that the distance in the sheet feeding passage with respect to the thickness direction is a second distance shorter than the first distance.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus includes a conveyance unit, a first reading unit, a first guide portion, a second reading unit, and a second guide portion. The second reading unit includes a rectangular transparent member, an optical reading unit, a housing, a first and a second contact portions, a first and a second pressing members, and a protruding portion. The first and the second contact portions are protruding from a facing surface of the housing. The protruding portion, when viewed from an upstream side in a conveyance direction of a recording material passing through a conveyance path between the second reading unit and the second guide portion, is disposed between the first contact portion and the second contact portion and protruding from the facing surface of the housing, a protruding amount of the protruding portion being smaller than protruding amounts of the first and the second contact portions.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including: a hinge configured to support an original conveying unit pivotably relative to an image reading unit; a swing pedestal configured to support the hinge; a swing axis configured to support the swing pedestal swingably relative to the image reading unit; and a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion configured to abut the image reading unit so as to form a space between the image reading unit and the original conveying unit, wherein the first abutment portion that is in a state not in contact with the image reading unit can be brought into contact with the image reading unit by the swing pedestal swinging about a swing axis in a state in which the second abutment portion is in contact with the image reading unit.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus includes a transmitting mechanism, a movable member, and a control portion to input a signal having first and second levels. The transmitting mechanism transmits driving force and includes a spring clutch and an electromagnetic clutch. The driving force pivotally moves the movable member. The spring clutch idles by a slackness of a spring when the rotation in a second direction is inputted to the transmitting mechanism and the movable member is regulated from pivoting at a predetermined position. The control portion inputs the signal to the transmitting mechanism such that the state electromagnetic clutch state changes the engagement state to the disengagement state through an intermediary state gradually varying a length of time where the signal of the first level is inputted into the electromagnetic clutch after the movable member reaches the predetermined position by inputting the rotation in the second direction to the transmitting mechanism.

Abstract: A speech separation device (12) of a speech separation system includes a feature amount extraction unit (121) configured to extract time-series data of a speech feature amount of mixed speech, a block division unit (122) configured to divide the time-series data of the speech feature amount into blocks having a certain time width, a speech separation neural network (1b) configured to create time-series data of a mask of each of a plurality of speakers from the time-series data of the speech feature amount divided into blocks, and a speech restoration unit (123) configured to restore the speech data of each of the plurality of speakers from the time-series data of the mask and the time-series data of the speech feature amount of the mixed speech.

Abstract: An image reading apparatus, including: a hinge configured to support an original conveying unit pivotably relative to an image reading unit; a swing pedestal configured to support the hinge; a swing axis configured to support the swing pedestal swingably relative to the image reading unit; and a first abutment portion and a second abutment portion configured to abut the image reading unit so as to form a space between the image reading unit and the original conveying unit, wherein the first abutment portion that is in a state not in contact with the image reading unit can be brought into contact with the image reading unit by the swing pedestal swinging about a swing axis in a state in which the second abutment portion is in contact with the image reading unit.