Abstract: When it is determined that there is no possibility of a driver performing a predetermined steering operation for moving a host vehicle in a lateral direction without involving a change in a final travel direction, a vehicle control device sets a steering reaction force to be greater than a standard reaction force. When it is determined that there is a possibility thereof, the vehicle control device sets the steering reaction force to be smaller than the standard reaction force, and sets an increase rate of the steering reaction force relative to an increase in the amount of steering operation from a predetermined point in time after it is determined that there is a possibility of the driver performing the predetermined steering operation and before the amount of steering operation in the predetermined steering operation becomes largest to be higher than an increase rate before the predetermined point in time.

Abstract: In a vehicle steering assist device that includes an electric power steering device that generates a control torque that modifies a return torque for urging a steering wheel to a neutral position, a steering assist ECU that controls the control torque, and a surrounding information detecting device (camera sensor, radar sensor) that detects at least information in front of a vehicle, the control torque is controlled such that a ratio of a change amount of the modified return torque to a change amount of a steering operation amount at the start of avoidance steering decreases when an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle by the surrounding information detecting device and the avoidance steering for the vehicle to avoid collision with the obstacle is determined to be required.

Abstract: A vehicle steering assist device includes a steering assist ECU. The steering assist ECU calculates a target steering angle for driving the vehicle along the road, and a target steering guide torque that guides the driver's steering so that the actual steering angle becomes the target steering angle. The steering assist ECU controls the torque applying device so that the steering guide torque becomes the target steering guide torque. The steering assist ECU acquires at least one of information on the driving environment of the vehicle and information on the state of the driver, and calculates an index value indicating the necessity of the steering guide torque based on at least one of the pieces of information. The steering assist ECU corrects the target steering guide torque based on the index value so that the higher the need for the steering guide torque, the larger the target steering guide torque.

Abstract: A vehicle steering control device includes a control device. The control device is configured to control a steering reaction force to be applied to a steering operation performed by a driver of a driver's vehicle, acquire information on a curved road ahead of the driver's vehicle in a traveling direction, set a guide steering operation amount based on the information on the curved road, predict a time at which the driver starts an actual steering operation for driving the driver's vehicle along the curved road as a steering operation start time, and set, based on a difference between the guide steering operation amount and an actual amount of the steering operation, the steering reaction force at a time earlier by a predetermined period than the steering operation start time.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides an organometallic complex represented by the following general formula (1). In general formula (1), M is a metal atom selected from Ir, Pt, Os, Rh, Pd, and Ru. R1 to R8 are each independently selected from a hydrogen atom and a substituent. At least one of R1 to R8 is the substituent, or at least any of R9 and R10 is the alkyl group having two or less carbon atoms.

Abstract: An optimization method includes: identifying, for each of a plurality of replicas each of which has a plurality of state variables, an amount of change in strength of interaction that corresponds to a change in a distance between the replica and another replica in a state space in a case where a value of a first state variable among the plurality of state variables of the replica is updated, the state space indicating a space which a combination of values of the plurality of state variables is able to take; and determining whether or not to update the value of the first state variable, based on a proposal probability that corresponds to the amount of change in the strength of interaction in the case where the value of the first state variable is updated and based on an acceptance probability that corresponds to a target probability distribution.

Abstract: When it is determined that there is no possibility of a driver performing a predetermined steering operation for moving a host vehicle in a lateral direction without involving a change in a final travel direction, a vehicle control device sets a steering reaction force to be greater than a standard reaction force. When it is determined that there is a possibility thereof, the vehicle control device sets the steering reaction force to be smaller than the standard reaction force, and sets an increase rate of the steering reaction force relative to an increase in the amount of steering operation from a predetermined point in time after it is determined that there is a possibility of the driver performing the predetermined steering operation and before the amount of steering operation in the predetermined steering operation becomes largest to be higher than an increase rate before the predetermined point in time.

Abstract: In a vehicle steering assist device that includes an electric power steering device that generates a control torque that modifies a return torque for urging a steering wheel to a neutral position, a steering assist ECU that controls the control torque, and a surrounding information detecting device (camera sensor, radar sensor) that detects at least information in front of a vehicle, the control torque is controlled such that a ratio of a change amount of the modified return torque to a change amount of a steering operation amount at the start of avoidance steering decreases when an obstacle is detected in front of the vehicle by the surrounding information detecting device and the avoidance steering for the vehicle to avoid collision with the obstacle is determined to be required.

Abstract: A vehicle steering control device includes a control device. The control device is configured to control a steering reaction force to be applied to a steering operation performed by a driver of a driver's vehicle, acquire information on a curved road ahead of the driver's vehicle in a traveling direction, set a guide steering operation amount based on the information on the curved road, predict a time at which the driver starts an actual steering operation for driving the driver's vehicle along the curved road as a steering operation start time, and set, based on a difference between the guide steering operation amount and an actual amount of the steering operation, the steering reaction force at a time earlier by a predetermined period than the steering operation start time.

Abstract: An optimization device performs: specifying, for each of a plurality of replicas each having a plurality of state variables, an amount of change in strength of interaction according to change in a distance between the replica and another replica, in a state space that indicates a space in which a combination of the values of the plurality of state variables may exist, in the case where a value of a first state variable among the plurality of state variables of the replica is updated; and determining, by using a proposal probability according to the amount of change in the strength of the interaction and an acceptance probability according to a target probability distribution in the case where the value of the first state variable is updated, whether or not to update the value of the first state variable.

Abstract: An optimization method includes: identifying, for each of a plurality of replicas each of which has a plurality of state variables, an amount of change in strength of interaction that corresponds to a change in a distance between the replica and another replica in a state space in a case where a value of a first state variable among the plurality of state variables of the replica is updated, the state space indicating a space which a combination of values of the plurality of state variables is able to take; and determining whether or not to update the value of the first state variable, based on a proposal probability that corresponds to the amount of change in the strength of interaction in the case where the value of the first state variable is updated and based on an acceptance probability that corresponds to a target probability distribution.

Abstract: A combinatorial optimization problem for acquiring a plurality of routes to be used by a traveling entity to visit a plurality of spot nodes and having a depot node as a starting point and end point of each of the routes is solved by a computer. The computer acquires a maximum number of spot nodes to be allocated to one route, determines the number of state variables to be used for formulating the combinatorial optimization problem based on the maximum number, generates, for the determined number of state variables, information on an objective function; and outputs the generated information on the objective function to a searching apparatus searching a ground state indicated by a set of the state variables included in the objective function.

Abstract: A toner which has i) toner base particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant and ii) a fatty acid metal salt composition as an external additive. The fatty acid metal salt composition contains a nonionic surface-active agent and a fatty acid metal salt. This toner and an image forming process making use of the toner can keep the toner from adhering to a toner carrying member throughout running, promise a stable chargeability of the toner and can keep any deterioration of halftone image quality from being caused by excess charging of the toner and any image fog from being caused by insufficient charging of the toner.

Abstract: A toner is provided which is excellent in development stability in both a low-temperature, low-humidity environment and a high-temperature, high-humidity environment over a long time period. The toner includes toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, and a fatty acid metal salt. The fatty acid metal salt has a volume-based median diameter (D50s) of 0.15 ?m or more and 0.65 ?m or less, and the liberation ratio of the fatty acid metal salt in the toner is 1.0% or more and 25.0% or less.

Abstract: A toner including toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant. The binder resin is a vinyl-based resin. The toner contains a THF insoluble matter in a quantity of 0.0 mass % or more to less than 16.0 mass %. The toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dr1 ranging from 5,000 to 80,000 in measurement of THF soluble matter of the toner with a gel permeation chromatogram (GPC)-differential refractive index detector (RI), and the toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dm1 ranging from 10,000 to 120,000 and at least one peak in a molecular weight domain Dm2 ranging from 300,000 to 7,000,000 in the GPC-RI measurement in measurement with a GPC-multi-angle laser light scattering detector (MALLS).

Abstract: A toner including toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant. The binder resin is a vinyl-based resin. The toner contains a THF insoluble matter in a quantity of 0.0 mass % or more to less than 16.0 mass %. The toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dr1 ranging from 5,000 to 80,000 in measurement of THF soluble matter of the toner with a gel permeation chromatogram (GPC)-differential refractive index detector (RI), and the toner has a main peak in a molecular weight domain Dm1 ranging from 10,000 to 120,000 and at least one peak in a molecular weight domain Dm2 ranging from 300,000 to 7,000,000 in the GPC-RI measurement in measurement with a GPC-multi-angle laser light scattering detector (MALLS).

Abstract: A non magnetic toner comprises toner particles each containing at least a binder resin, a colorant and a wax component. The toner further comprises an inorganic fine powder. A storage elastic modulus at 110° C. (G?110) of the non magnetic toner is in a range of 2.00×104 to 2.00×105 dN/m2. A storage elastic modulus at 150° C. (G?150) of the non magnetic toner is in a range of 3.00×103 to 2.00×104 dN/m2. The toner particles are obtained by dispersing a polymerizable monomer composition containing polymerizable monomers, the colorant, the wax component and a low-molecular weight polymer into an aqueous medium, granulating the dispersed polymerizable monomer composition, and polymerizing the polymerizable monomers in granulated particles. The low-molecular weight polymer has a weight average molecular weight (Mw) measured by means of gel permeation chromatography (GPC) in a range of 2000 to 5000.

Abstract: In a chart of molecular weight distribution measured of a toner, i) the toner has a main peak in the region of molecular weight of 16,000 to 60,000, and ii) where the molecular weight at the main peak is represented by M1, and where the height at the molecular weight M1 is represented by H(M1), the height at a molecular weight of 4,000 by H(4000) and the height at a molecular weight of 15,000 by H(15000), the H(4000), the H(15000) and the H(M1) satisfy a specific proportion. The toner has a weight-average molecular weight (Mw) of 15,000 to 80,000, and, in an endothermic chart, i) the toner has an endothermic main peak in the range of 40 to 130° C., and ii) the calorimetric integral value represented by the peak area of the endothermic main peak is 10 to 35 J per 1 g of the toner.

Abstract: A toner is provided which is excellent in development stability in both a low-temperature, low-humidity environment and a high-temperature, high-humidity environment over a long time period. The toner includes toner particles containing at least a binder resin and a colorant, and a fatty acid metal salt. The fatty acid metal salt has a volume-based median diameter (D50s) of 0.15 ?m or more and 0.65 ?m or less, and the liberation ratio of the fatty acid metal salt in the toner is 1.0% or more and 25.0% or less.

Abstract: In a toner having toner particles which comprise toner base particles containing at least a colorant, a release agent and a polar resin, and an inorganic fine powder, the polar resin is a resin having at least a polyester unit, synthesized in the presence of an aromatic carboxylic acid titanium compound used as a catalyst, and has an acid value of from 3 mgKOH/g to 35 mgKOH/g. The toner base particles are obtained by carrying out granulation in an aqueous medium, and the toner has a weight-average particle diameter of from 4.0 ?m to 10.0 ?m.