Abstract: The particle is a particle including, in a surface layer thereof, a copolymer having a repeating unit A having a side chain A having, at a terminal thereof, a carboxy group to be bonded to a ligand and a repeating unit B having a side chain B having a hydroxy group at a terminal thereof, wherein when the particle is dispersed in ion-exchanged water, the surface layer of the particle is hydrated to form a swollen layer, wherein the density of the carboxy groups to be incorporated into the swollen layer satisfies a value of from 0.04 group/nm3 to 0.15 group/nm3, and wherein the ratio of a particle diameter in water to be measured when the particle is dispersed in ion-exchanged water to a dry particle diameter to be measured when the particle is dried satisfies a value of from 1.10 to 1.40.

Abstract: A particle includes a copolymer including a repeating unit A having, in a side chain, a sulfide group or a secondary amine, and three or more hydroxy groups, and a repeating unit B having, in a side chain, at least one reactive functional group for binding a ligand, in which nonspecific adsorption is suppressed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a particle that shows a small non-specific adsorption, has a reactive functional group for chemically bonding a ligand thereto, and is suitable for an agglutination method. The particle includes a polymer having a unit having a side chain A and a unit having a side chain B, wherein the side chain A has a carboxyl group at a terminal thereof, and has an ester bond and an amide bond in a molecular structure thereof; the side chain B has an alkyl group at a terminal thereof; and a zeta potential at the time when the particles are dispersed in water is minus 40 mV or higher and minus 5 mV or lower.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a particle showing a small non-specific adsorption, having a reactive functional group for chemically bonding a ligand thereto, and being suitable for an agglutination method; a particle for the agglutination method having a ligand chemically bonded to the particle; a reagent, a kit and a method for detecting a target substance, each for in vitro diagnosis, each of which contains the particle. The particle includes a polymer having a unit having a linker A in a side chain, wherein when both terminals of the linker A are represented by X1 and X2, the linker A has a reactive functional group for chemically bonding a ligand thereto in one of X1 and X2; one of X1 and X2 includes an ester structure; and a sum of bonds between atoms linearly connecting X1 and X2 is 18 to 24 and the X1 and X2 contain CH2 or CH.

Abstract: A method of producing a toner including the steps of: mixing resin fine particles, an organic solvent, and a resin R with a dispersion medium containing carbon dioxide, to prepare a dispersion of resin R-containing droplets; and removing the organic solvent by flowing carbon dioxide, wherein the resin fine particles contain one or more resins that have a partial structure A, B, and C, and are soluble in chloroform; the SP value of the partial structure A, the resin R, and the partial structure B satisfy particular relationships; a resin A constituted of the partial structure A and a resin B constituted of the partial structure B are soluble in the organic solvent; and a resin C constituted of the partial structure C is insoluble in the organic solvent.

Abstract: A method for producing a toner particle include: (a) mixing a binder resin A, resin fine particles containing a resin B, a resin C, an organic solvent, and carbon dioxide, thereby forming a droplet of a resin solution containing the binder resin A, covered with the resin fine particles; (b) applying a pressure by introducing carbon dioxide, thereby precipitating the resin C at the surface of the droplet; and (c) passing carbon dioxide so as to remove the organic solvent from the droplet with the carbon dioxide. The resin C has an organic polysiloxane structure and a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 500,000. The ratio of the weight average molecular weight to the number average molecular weight of the resin C is not more than 5.0. The proportion of the resin C to the rein fine particles is 5.0% by mass to 50.0% by mass.

Abstract: A method of producing a toner including the steps of: mixing resin fine particles, an organic solvent, and a resin R with a dispersion medium containing carbon dioxide, to prepare a dispersion of resin R-containing droplets; and removing the organic solvent by flowing carbon dioxide, wherein the resin fine particles contain one or more resins that have a partial structure A, B, and C, and are soluble in chloroform; the SP value of the partial structure A, the resin R, and the partial structure B satisfy particular relationships; a resin A constituted of the partial structure A and a resin B constituted of the partial structure B are soluble in the organic solvent; and a resin C constituted of the partial structure C is insoluble in the organic solvent.

Abstract: A toner includes toner particles which contain a binder resin, a colorant, a wax, and a resin A having an organic polysiloxane structure; the amount of Si atoms of the toner particles is 4.5 to 10.0; in an analysis of a cross-section of each toner particle, in a surface layer region R from the periphery of the cross-section of the toner particle to the inside at a distance of 10.0% of the particle diameter in the cross-section of the toner particle, the content of Si atoms derived from the organic polysiloxane structure is 90.0% or more with respect to the total amount of Si atoms contained in the toner particle; and in a line analysis along a straight line between the periphery of the surface layer region R and a gravity center of the cross-section, an intensity count of Si atoms in the toner particle satisfies formula Si0>Si1>Si2>Si3?0.

Abstract: A toner includes toner particles which contain a binder resin, a colorant, a wax, and a resin A having an organic polysiloxane structure; the amount of Si atoms of the toner particles is 4.5 to 10.0; in an analysis of a cross-section of each toner particle, in a surface layer region R from the periphery of the cross-section of the toner particle to the inside at a distance of 10.0% of the particle diameter in the cross-section of the toner particle, the content of Si atoms derived from the organic polysiloxane structure is 90.0% or more with respect to the total amount of Si atoms contained in the toner particle; and in a line analysis along a straight line between the periphery of the surface layer region R and a gravity center of the cross-section, an intensity count of Si atoms in the toner particle satisfies formula Si0>Si1>Si2>Si3?0.

Abstract: A method for producing a toner particle include: (a) mixing a binder resin A, resin fine particles containing a resin B, a resin C, an organic solvent, and carbon dioxide, thereby forming a droplet of a resin solution containing the binder resin A, covered with the resin fine particles; (b) applying a pressure by introducing carbon dioxide, thereby precipitating the resin C at the surface of the droplet; and (c) passing carbon dioxide so as to remove the organic solvent from the droplet with the carbon dioxide. The resin C has an organic polysiloxane structure and a weight average molecular weight of 50,000 to 500,000. The ratio of the weight average molecular weight to the number average molecular weight of the resin C is not more than 5.0. The proportion of the resin C to the rein fine particles is 5.0% by mass to 50.0% by mass.

Abstract: An actuator includes a pair of electrodes facing each other, an intermediate layer containing an ionic liquid and arranged between the pair of electrodes, the electrodes and the intermediate layer being deformed when a potential difference larger than a potential window of the ionic liquid is applied between the electrodes, and insulating layers that suppress direct contact between ions of the ionic liquid and the electrodes, the insulating layers being arranged between the intermediate layer and the electrodes.

Abstract: A difference is arisen in the electric potential of the electrode layer between a fixed end portion and a displacement end portion of an actuator. The electrode layer includes a bundle of polymer fibers containing a conductive material. Longitudinal directions of the polymer fibers are arranged parallel to a direction from the fixed portion to the displacement end portion of the actuator.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator large in the amounts of displacement and generative force. The actuator includes a pair of electrode layers and an electrolyte-containing electrolyte layer interposed between the pair of electrode layers, and transforms upon application of a voltage thereto to cause ions in the electrolyte to migrate, wherein the electrolyte layer includes at least one polymer fiber layer made of polymer fibers and at least some of the polymer fibers of the polymer fiber layer are uniaxially oriented within a plane of the electrolyte layer.

Abstract: There is provided an actuator that can deform as an electrolyte moves, wherein at least one of a pair of electrode layers contains polymer fibers, and the polymer fibers contain an electroconductive material and are porous.

Abstract: A pressure sensor diagnosis method and a common-rail-type fuel injection control device to diagnose the presence or the non-presence of an abnormality of a pressure sensor without having a dedicated circuit. A time between energizing of injectors and the occurrence of a peak counter electromotive current is measured as a valve closing time. A rail pressure with respect to the measured valve closing time is obtained as an estimated rail pressure based on a correlation between a valve closing time and the rail pressure. When an absolute value of the difference between the estimated rail pressure and an actual rail pressure is equal to or less than a predetermined error, it is determined that the pressure sensor has no abnormality. Otherwise, it is determined that the pressure sensor has an abnormality.

Abstract: Provided are an electrode having high conductivity and high durability to driving deformation, and an actuator including the electrode, the actuator having a large amount of displacement. The actuator includes a pair of electrodes arranged oppositely and an intermediate layer arranged between the pair of electrodes, the intermediate layer containing an electrolyte, and the actuator being deformed by applying a voltage to the pair of electrodes, in which at least one of the pair of electrodes includes a porous structure containing a first conductive material and having conductivity, a second conductive material, and an electrolyte, pores of the porous structure being filled with the second conductive material and the electrolyte.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator which can obtain a large displacement in a moving part, and suppresses the deterioration due to a counteracting force of the moving part in a stationary part. The actuator has a pair of electrode layers which contain a conductive material and a polymer, and an ionic conduction layer which is sandwiched between the pair of the electrode layers, wherein the content of the conductive material contained in the electrode layer is larger in the stationary part of the actuator than in the moving part of the actuator. The content of the conductive material contained in the electrode layer increases toward the stationary part of the actuator from the moving part.

Abstract: It is possible to perform a failure diagnosis of a pressure sensor with a simple structure without installing a dedicated circuit for the failure diagnosis. In a common rail type fuel injection control apparatus, a pressure control valve 12 is provided in a fuel return path from a common rail 1, and a rail pressure detected by a pressure sensor 11 can be controlled to match a target rail pressure through drive control of the pressure control valve 12 by an electronic control unit 4. The target rail pressure is calculated based on operational information of an engine 3. In the common rail type fuel injection control apparatus, learning processing is performed, in which a correction coefficient Cv is stored and updated as a learning value to correct energization characteristics of a median product of the pressure control valves 12 that are stored in the electronic control unit 4. At the same time, it is determined whether the learning value of the correction coefficient Cv is within a predetermined range.

Abstract: The present invention provides an actuator which suppresses the inflow of water and the like, and is unlikely to cause cracking and peeling even when repeatedly driven. An actuator having a conductive layer and an ion-conducting layer includes: a first layer which is provided in contact with the actuator and is formed from a polymer that suppresses the permeation of water; and a second layer which is provided in contact with the first layer, has a lower tensile elastic modulus than that of the first layer, protects the first layer, and is formed from a polymer. The first layer and the second layer can cover the whole actuator.

Abstract: A difference is arisen in the electric potential of the electrode layer between a fixed end portion and a displacement end portion of an actuator. The electrode layer includes a bundle of polymer fibers containing a conductive material. Longitudinal directions of the polymer fibers are arranged parallel to a direction from the fixed portion to the displacement end portion of the actuator.