Abstract: A vapor grown fine carbon fiber, each fiber filament of the carbon fiber comprising, in its interior, a hollow space extending along the fiber filament, and having a multi-layer structure, an outer diameter of 2 to 500 nm, and an aspect ratio of 1 to 100, wherein the fiber filament comprises a cut portion on its surface along the hollow space, a production method therefor, and electrically conductive material, a secondary battery and a gas occlusion material using the carbon fiber. The fine carbon fiber of the present invention is excellent in properties such as occlusion of gases such as hydrogen and methane, smoothness, electrical conductivity and thermal conductivity, and also excellent in dispersability, wettability and adhesion with a matrix such as resin.

Abstract: Favorable visual appearance and ease of operation are required in the user interface of digital home appliances using a television screen. An array of function icons including multiple function icons representing respective playing functions and an array of content icons including multiple content icons representing items of contents that can be played are displayed practically at the center of an on-screen menu such that the arrays intersect. A moving image icon, which is a function icon displayed in an area of intersection in which the array of function icons and the array of content icons intersect, is highlighted by a color different from that of the other function icons and by an enlarged view. An icon in focus immediately below the moving image icon is also displayed in an expanded view. If an external appliance is connected via a network, contents in the external appliance are also displayed in the array of content icons.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive drum with a simple structure for realizing a seamless digital photosensitive drum having an exposure source and a photosensitive member which are integrated with each other. The electrophotographic photosensitive drum includes a self-luminous device portion, a functional separation portion, and a photosensitive portion. The self-luminous device portion includes a first electrode wire layer including multiple first electrode wires provided in a circumferential direction of a cylindrical substrate and arrayed in a longitudinal direction of the cylindrical substrate so as to be separated from each other by an insulating member, and each of the multiple first electrode wires is annularly formed.

Abstract: A simple structure of a digital photosensitive drum having an exposure source and a photosensitive member which are integrated with each other. The drum is mountable to a structure of a conventional electrophotographic image forming process. An interval between phase detecting patterns of an encoder wheel portion which is rotated with the drum is equal to or smaller than an interval between a charging position and a developing position. During an image forming process, a timing for each pixel to be driven to emit light is controlled based on a phase detection value.

Abstract: The electroconductive resin composition comprising 1 to 30 mass % of carbon fiber having a hollow structure, an average filament diameter of 50 to 500 nm and an average aspect ratio of 50 to 1000 and 99 to 70 mass % of resin, wherein the volume ratio of carbon fiber agglomerate to one carbon fiber filament constituting the agglomerate in the resin composition (volume of carbon fiber agglomerate/volume of a carbon fiber filament) is 1500 or less according to the invention can be uniformly dispersed in resin without agglomeration and therefore, a good electroconductivity can be achieved by addition of small amount of the composition.

Abstract: Conductive composites with resin, produced by mixing a vapor grown carbon fiber having a fiber diameter of 2 to 500 nm with a matrix resin in a molten state while suppressing breakage of the fiber 20% or less, exhibit conductivity higher than that of a conventional conductive composites with resin through incorporation of vapor grown carbon fiber in an amount equivalent to a conventional amount, or exhibit conductivity equal to or higher than that of a conventional conductive composites with resin through incorporation of vapor grown carbon fiber in an amount smaller than a conventional amount. In the case where the melt-mixing of the fiber with resin is performed using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder, the vapor grown carbon fiber is preferably fed to the extruder by way of side feeding. In the case where the melt-mixing is performed using a pressure kneader, resin is sufficiently melted in the kneader in advance, and vapor grown carbon fiber is fed to the molten resin.

Abstract: A purified novel enzyme protein, UGPPase, which naturally occurs in animal cells, its productions of recombinant technology, an antibody to the enzyme protein, a method of carrying out ELISA for measurement of the amount of UGPPase in an analyte and a method for determination of UDPG in a sample. The one-way enzyme protein catalyses hydrolysis of UDP-glucose, the precursor molecule of glycogen, into glucose-1-phosphate (G1P) and uridine 5?-monophosphate (UMP).

Abstract: A voltage regulator 10 includes: a level shifting circuit unit 14 shifting a first voltage, which is a voltage level of a first power source 12, to a target value of a second voltage to output the shifted first voltage; a voltage-to-current converting circuit unit 20 varying a magnitude of an output current to output the current while changing a direction of a current using a variable power source 22 varying a voltage to larger and smaller values than a center voltage of an arbitrarily variable voltage range; and an adder-subtracter circuit unit 32 having a first terminal on one side, the first terminal being connected to an output terminal of the level shifting circuit unit, and a second terminal on the other side, the terminal being connected to a resistance element disposed between the second terminal and an output terminal, the resistance element allowing an output current of the voltage-to-current converting circuit unit to flow therethrough as a bias current, wherein a second voltage V2 is output from a

Abstract: The invention relates to a heat-resistant sliding resin composition, comprising a vapor carbon fiber having a specific surface area of 10 to 50 m2/g, a mean aspect ratio of 20 to 500 and a mean fiber diameter of 50 to 200 nm and a synthetic resin, wherein a heat deflection temperature under high load (ASTM D648) is 160° C. or higher and a thermal conductivity is 0.8 W/mK or higher. The resin composition has heat resistance, heat-radiation property and sliding property. Particularly, the resin composition, which neither wears away nor abrades a soft metal member which is a counter member under high temperature and heat generative conditions, can be employed for various sliding members such as bearings.

Abstract: The invention relates to a vapor grown carbon fiber having a mean fiber diameter of 80 to 500 nm, an aspect ratio of 100 to 200 and preferably a bulk density of 0.02 g/cm3 or less, wherein filaments having a diameter within ±20% the mean fiber diameter occupies 65% (on a number basis) or more of the total. The production method involves thermal decomposition of a carbon source at 800 to 1,300° C. in the presence of, as a catalyst, a transition metal compound having a vapor pressure of 0.13 kPa (1 mmHg) or more at 150° C. and spraying of the carbon source and the transition metal compound in gas form toward the reactor inner wall to allow reaction to proceed. The vapor grown carbon fiber having a larger aspect ratio has excellent dispersibility, and when added in a resin, a smaller amount contributes to enhancement in electroconductivity and thermal conductivity, as compared with a case using conventional one.

Abstract: Heat treatment apparatus and a method of manufacturing a substrate are provided, in which drop of particles produced by a rubbing action between a support strip and a support member can be prevented. Heat treatment apparatus 10 has a reactor 40 for treating a substrate, and a support tool 30 for supporting the substrate 54 in the reactor 40. The support tool 30 has a support part 57 to be contacted to the substrate 54, and a support strip 67 for supporting the support part 57. A back of the support part 57 has a convex portion or a concave portion, and the back of the support part 54 is configured to be not contacted to an edge of the support strip 67, and contacted to a top of the support strip 67 at inner than the edge of the support strip 67.

Abstract: Favorable visual appearance and ease of operation are required in the user interface of digital home appliances using a television screen. An array of function icons including multiple function icons representing respective types of media that can be played and an array of content icons including multiple content icons representing items of contents that can be played are displayed practically at the center of an on-screen menu such that the arrays intersect. A moving image icon, which is a function icon displayed in an area of intersection in which the array of function icons and the array of content icons intersect, is highlighted by a color different from that of the other function icons and by an enlarged view. In the array of content icons, the hierarchy of the contents is visually represented.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an electrically conductive resin composition comprising a vapor grown carbon fiber (A1) having an outer fiber diameter of 80 to 500 nm and a resin (B), characterized in that: (1) the vapor grown carbon fiber (A1) has an interlayer spacing (d002) of 0.345 nm or less and an aspect ratio of 40 to 1,000, (2) the ratio by volume of the vapor grown carbon fiber (A1) to the resin (B) (i.e., A1/B) is 0.5/99.5 to 12/88, (3) the electrically conductive resin composition has a volume resistivity value of 105 ?cm or less, and (4) when the resin composition is heated at 80° C. for 30 minutes, the total amount of gases generated therefrom is 5 ppm or less. The present invention also relates to a resin molded product comprising the electrically conductive composition. The electrically conductive resin composition suppresses deposition of a molecular contaminant generated from a resin material onto the surface of a packaged device product.

Abstract: A method of processing information, includes: creating threads for respective input data streams, and switching them for processing, the threads each being for applying predetermined processing to an input data stream and storing the resulting intermediate data into a buffer; and reading multiple pieces of the intermediate data from the respective corresponding buffers to output multiple pieces of output data in parallel. The switching for processing includes: detecting the amount of intermediate data that is stored and yet to be read in the buffers when starting processing the threads; and stopping processing of the thread when the amount of the intermediate data thereof exceeds a set value, and switching processing to other threads.

Abstract: A conductive composition comprising a vapor grown carbon fiber having an aspect ratio of 40 to 1,000, preferably 65 to 1,000, and a specific surface area or fiber diameter of the fiber within a predetermined range, and a preferable peak intensity ratio (I0=I1360/I1580) of 0.1 to 1, wherein I1580 represents a peak height at 1,580 cm?1 and I1360 represents a peak height at 1,360 cm?1 in a Raman scattering spectrum; and a resin composition containing the composition; and a production method thereof.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a composite of vapor grown carbon fiber and inorganic fine particles comprising vapor grown carbon fiber, each fiber filament of the carbon fiber having a structure with hollow space extending along its axis, a diameter of 0.001 to 1 ?m and an aspect ratio of 5 to 15,000; and inorganic fine particles having a particle size of 0.0001 to 5 ?m, the particles being deposited onto the surface of the carbon fiber, wherein the ratio of the average diameter of the vapor grown carbon fiber to the average particle size of the inorganic fine particles is 1 0.01 to 1:5; the ratio by mass of the vapor grown carbon fiber to the inorganic fine particles is 1:0.005 to 1:50; and the carbon crystal structure of the carbon fiber is maintained and the surface characteristics are modified.

Abstract: The invention provides a production method of a conductive polymer, comprising a step of blending a polymer in a state of a melt viscosity of 600 Pa·s or less at a shear rate of 100 s?1 with a vapor grown carbon fiber in 1 to 15 mass at a mixing energy of 1,000 mJ/m3 or less, and a conductive polymer obtained thereby. Preferably, a vapor grown carbon fiber used has an outer fiber diameter of 80 to 500 nm, an aspect ratio of 40 to 1,000, a BET specific surface area of 4: to 30 m2/g, a do02 of 0.345 nm or less according to an X-ray diffraction method, and a ratio (Id/Ig) of 0.1 to 2 wherein Id and Ig each represent peak heights of a band ranging from 1,341 to 1,349 cm?1 and a band ranging from 1,570 to 1,578 cm?1 respectively, according to a Raman scattering spectrum. According to the invention, an excellent conductivity can be attained by compounding vapor grown carbon fiber in a smaller amount than in a conventional method.

Abstract: A graphitized fine carbon fiber comprising a hollow space extending along its center axis, and a plurality of graphene sheets, wherein the fiber has an end surface comprising a portion of discontinuity in which ends of graphene sheets are not bonded to one another and at least one portion of continuity comprised of at least one group of graphene sheets in which one graphene sheet is bonded to another graphene sheet adjacent thereto.

Abstract: An electrical insulating vapor grown carbon fiber containing a vapor grown carbon fiber having a fiber diameter of 0.01 to 0.5 ?m, wherein the surface thereof is partially or entirely coated with an electrical insulating material and a method of producing thereof is disclosed.

Abstract: A developing apparatus has a developer carrying member carrying a developer thereon, a developer supplying member for supplying the developer to the developer carrying member, and a scraping member for contacting with the developer carrying member upstream of the closest position between the developer carrying member and the developer supplying member with respect to the movement direction of the developer carrying member to thereby scrape off the developer from the developer carrying member, wherein there is formed a developer supplying portion surrounded by the scraping member, the developer carrying member and the developer supplying member for supplying the developer from the developer supplying member to the developer carrying member, and the developer scraped off by the scraping member is conveyed to a collecting passage differing from the closest position.