Abstract: A static elimination device includes: a pair of static elimination rollers that performs static elimination by allowing passage of a sheet-like material to be sandwiched between the pair of static elimination rollers; and a power supply unit that supplies a voltage for static elimination to at least one static elimination roller of the pair of static elimination rollers, wherein the pair of static elimination rollers is a pair of static elimination rollers in which contact pressures at ends in an axial direction are lower than a contact pressure at a portion other than the ends.

Abstract: The power conversion system includes an inverter circuit. The inverter circuit performs a grid-connected operation and an independent operation. When performing the independent operation, the inverter circuit may output, via a terminal, AC power converted to a load disconnected from a power grid. When the inverter circuit performs the independent operation, a control unit controls, when operating in a first mode, the power conversion system in a first time range such that an AC voltage is applied to the terminal, and controls, when operating in a second mode, the power conversion system in a second time range different from the first time range. The second mode includes control of stopping an operation of having the AC voltage applied to the terminal.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a carbon material that achieves both a high capacity retention rate and a low DCR retention rate even after 500 cycles, and a secondary battery using the same. The gist of the present invention is as follows. A carbon material wherein a number of peaks in the particle size distribution obtained from flow type-particle image analysis is 2 or more, a number of particles Ne calculated by the following formula (1) is 700 or more, and a specific surface area is 10 m2/g or less. A secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and an electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode comprises a current collector and a negative electrode active material layer disposed on the current collector, and wherein the negative electrode active material layer contains this carbon material. Ne=No×F??(1) (In formula (1), No is a number of particles of the carbon material obtained from the flow type-particle image analysis.

Abstract: A tin alloy electroplating bath, wherein the tin alloy electroplating bath includes (A) a soluble tin salt, (B) a soluble nickel salt and/or a soluble cobalt salt, (C) an oxycarboxylic acid or a salt thereof, (D) a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic unsaturated compound, and (E) a surfactant, and the pH of the tin alloy electroplating bath is 3 to 7.

Abstract: A photoacoustic device comprises a light source configured to generate first and second lights; an irradiation unit configured to generate a first acoustic wave from an object including a contrast agent by irradiating the object with the first light, and then bleach the contrast agent by irradiating the object with the second light and generate a second acoustic wave from the object by irradiating the object with the first light after bleaching; a receiving unit configured to output a first signal upon receiving the first acoustic wave and output a second signal upon receiving the second acoustic wave; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire first information based on the first signal, and acquire second information based on the second signal.

Abstract: Provided is a copper-nickel alloy electroplating apparatus which is capable of stably forming a copper-nickel plated coating on a workpiece with a uniform composition and which enables a plating bath to be used for a long period. The present invention provides a copper-nickel alloy electroplating apparatus (1), comprising: a cathode chamber (4) in which a workpiece (5) is to be placed; an anode chamber (6); an anode (7) placed in the anode chamber; an electrically conductive diaphragm (14) placed to separate the cathode chamber and the anode chamber from each other; a cathode chamber oxidation-reduction potential adjusting tank (8) for adjusting the oxidation-reduction potential of a plating liquid in the cathode chamber; an anode chamber oxidation-reduction potential adjusting tank (10) for adjusting the oxidation-reduction potential of a plating liquid in the anode chamber; and a power supply unit (36) that provides an electric current to flow between the workpiece and the anode.

Abstract: The present invention provides a copper-nickel alloy electroplating bath which contains (a) a copper salt and a nickel salt, (b) a metal complexing agent, (c) a conductivity imparting agent, (d) a sulfur-containing organic compound and (e) a redox potential regulator.

Abstract: A photoacoustic apparatus comprises a light source; an irradiation unit configured to radiate light from the light source to an object that contains a contrast agent; a receiving unit configured to receive acoustic waves generated when the contrast agent absorbs the light radiated by the irradiation unit and output an electrical signal; a correction processing unit configured to correct a signal strength of the electrical signal, based on a temporal change in a concentration of the contrast agent contained in the object; and an acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristics information on the object, based on the electrical signal that has been corrected by the correction processing unit.

Abstract: The present invention provides a copper-nickel alloy electroplating bath which is characterized by containing (a) a copper salt and a nickel salt, (b) a metal complexing agent, (c) a plurality of conductivity-imparting salts that are different from each other, (d) a compound that is selected from the group consisting of disulfide compounds, sulfur-containing amino acids and salts of these compounds, (e) a compound that is selected from the group consisting of sulfonic acid compounds, sulfimide compounds, sulfamic acid compounds, sulfone amides and salts of these compounds, and (f) a reaction product of a glycidyl ether and a polyhydric alcohol. This copper-nickel alloy electroplating bath is also characterized by having a pH of 3-8.

Abstract: A photoacoustic apparatus, comprises a light source that irradiates an object with light; a plurality of acoustic wave detectors that receive acoustic waves generated from the object, convert the acoustic waves into an electrical signal, and output the electrical signal; and an information acquisition unit that acquires information of the object, based on the electrical signals, wherein the information acquisition unit acquires, for each of the acoustic wave detectors, a change in the intensity of the electrical signal, after the object that has been injected with a contrast agent is irradiated with light that decomposes the contrast agent, and acquires information relating to blood flow, based on the change in the intensity of the electrical signal.

Abstract: The present invention provides a copper-nickel alloy electroplating bath which contains (a) a copper salt and a nickel salt, (b) a metal complexing agent, (c) a conductivity imparting agent, (d) a sulfur-containing organic compound and (e) a redox potential regulator.

Abstract: Provided is a copper-nickel alloy electroplating apparatus which is capable of stably forming a copper-nickel plated coating on a workpiece with a uniform composition and which enables a plating bath to be used for a long period. The present invention provides a copper-nickel alloy electroplating apparatus (1), comprising: a cathode chamber (4) in which a workpiece (5) is to be placed; an anode chamber (6); an anode (7) placed in the anode chamber; an electrically conductive diaphragm (14) placed to separate the cathode chamber and the anode chamber from each other; a cathode chamber oxidation-reduction potential adjusting tank (8) for adjusting the oxidation-reduction potential of a plating liquid in the cathode chamber; an anode chamber oxidation-reduction potential adjusting tank (10) for adjusting the oxidation-reduction potential of a plating liquid in the anode chamber; and a power supply unit (36) that provides an electric current to flow between the workpiece and the anode.

Abstract: There is provided an ICG-loaded polymer nanoparticle that is dynamically stable, prevents the leakage of contained ICG and the resulting discoloration, and has a high molar absorbance coefficient. The particle contains a hydrophilic dye having a sulfonate group and a hydrophobic polymer, and the particle further contains at least one of a lipid having a positively charged region, a nicotinic acid derivative and a thiamine derivative.

Abstract: A compound or a salt thereof in which polyethylene glycol is bonded to a specific cyanine dye.

Abstract: The present invention provides a photoacoustic imaging contrast medium which exhibits a high degree of accumulation into a tumor even when some extent of time has passed after performing administration and which facilitates an increase in the intensity of photoacoustic signal produced by the tumor. A compound produced by covalent-bonding of an organic dye which absorbs light in the near-infrared wavelength region and a PEG having a branch.

Abstract: A photoacoustic device comprises a light source configured to generate first and second lights; an irradiation unit configured to generate a first acoustic wave from an object including a contrast agent by irradiating the object with the first light, and then bleach the contrast agent by irradiating the object with the second light and generate a second acoustic wave from the object by irradiating the object with the first light after bleaching; a receiving unit configured to output a first signal upon receiving the first acoustic wave and output a second signal upon receiving the second acoustic wave; and an acquisition unit configured to acquire first information based on the first signal, and acquire second information based on the second signal.

Abstract: A photoacoustic apparatus comprises a light source; an irradiation unit configured to radiate light from the light source to an object that contains a contrast agent; a receiving unit configured to receive acoustic waves generated when the contrast agent absorbs the light radiated by the irradiation unit and output an electrical signal; a correction processing unit configured to correct a signal strength of the electrical signal, based on a temporal change in a concentration of the contrast agent contained in the object; and an acquiring unit configured to acquire characteristics information on the object, based on the electrical signal that has been corrected by the correction processing unit.

Abstract: An iron oxide particle constituting a Resovist (trademark) absorbs a small quantity of light in a near infrared region and emits a weak photoacoustic signal. According to a particle having a catechol-like compound and iron atoms, the particle having a ratio of the number of moles of the catechol-like compound to the number of moles of the iron atoms of 270/10,000 or more, light absorption in the near infrared region increases and a strong photoacoustic signal can be transmitted.

Abstract: Provided is a particle which can stably hold a dye in itself even in an aqueous solution such as serum, in order to solve such a problem of a particle containing ICG, which has been conventionally used in a contrast agent or the like, that the ICG is a dye having a hydrophilic functional group and hence the ICG leaks out of the particle in an aqueous solution such as serum. More specifically, provided is a particle including a hydrophobic dye having a cyanine structure, in which the hydrophobic dye is represented by the following chemical formula (1).

Abstract: There is provided a gelatin-ICG complex that can suppress leakage of ICG included therein. The complex has a gelatin derivative including at least one of a phospholipid covalently bonded to a gelatin or a cholesterol covalently bonded to a gelatin, and indocyanine green.