Abstract: Provided is an image forming apparatus, including: an accommodation chamber for developer; a photosensitive drum; notification unit for making a notification to a user, and a control unit for controlling the notification unit. A replenishment container for developer is detachably attached to the accommodation chamber. The notification unit makes a first notification indicating that a developer amount in the accommodation chamber is a first state, a second notification indicating that the developer amount is a second state smaller than in the first state, and a third notification indicating that the developer amount is a third state smaller than in the second state. The image forming apparatus is capable of operating in a first mode and a second mode. The notification unit makes the notifications in an order of the first, second, and third notifications as consumption of the developer progresses.

Abstract: An image encoding device (1) includes a motion compensation predictor (109) configured to generate a prediction image corresponding to a target image by performing motion compensation prediction using a plurality of reference images, and an evaluator (111) configured to evaluate prediction accuracy of the prediction image for each image portion including one or more pixels by calculating a degree of similarity between the plurality of reference images for each image portion.

Abstract: A planar light source includes a substrate, light sources, and at least one partitioning member. The partitioning member includes first wall parts, second wall parts, and partitioned regions. The first wall parts define first ridges extending in a first direction. The second wall parts define second ridges extending in a second direction. The partitioned regions each is surrounded by the first ridges and the second ridges in a plan view. the partitioned regions are arranged in the first and second directions. At least one first cut is defined on at least one of the first ridges. At least one second cut is defined on at least one of the second ridges. The at least one first cut and the at least one second cut are spaced apart from each other. At least one of the light sources is arranged in a corresponding one of the partitioned regions.

Abstract: Occurrence of waviness abnormality is predicted. A waviness prediction device includes a data input part configured to receive an input of waviness data obtained by measuring waviness of a polishing target surface that is polished by rotating a polishing pad with a planetary gear mechanism; a feature obtainment part configured to obtain a feature including both a number of processed polishing targets in the polishing pad, and a torque of a sun gear; and a waviness prediction part configured to predict the waviness by inputting the feature obtained by the feature obtainment part to a prediction model that learns a relationship between the feature and the waviness data.

Abstract: The invention relates to the field of interferometry, in particular to Fizeau interferometers for improving a contrast of an interferogram. The Fizeau interferometer comprises a light source, a reference surface, a test surface positioned in on a support of the Fizeau interferometer and an imaging system. The Fizeau interferometer utilizes a polarizing reference surface to improve the contrast of the interferogram. The invention further relates to a method for using the Fizeau interferometer of the invention for improving contrast of an interferogram obtained by the Fizeau interferometer.

Abstract: An encoding device includes: a quantizer configured to perform a quantization process; a loop filter configured to perform an adaptive loop filter process; and an entropy encoder configured to output a bit stream including an adaptive parameter set. The adaptive parameter set includes encoding tool type information indicating which parameter of parameter candidates including one of a scaling list parameter including a parameter of a scaling list that controls the quantization process and an adaptive loop filter parameter including a parameter of a filter coefficient used in the adaptive loop filter process is included in the adaptive parameter set, and a chrominance parameter present flag indicating whether or not a parameter for a chrominance signal is present in the adaptive parameter set, and the chrominance parameter present flag is applied in common to the scaling list parameter and the adaptive loop filter parameter.

Abstract: A support device and method capable of supporting construction of an optimal secondary usage environment for data are proposed. A plurality of construction candidate plans for a secondary usage environment including a copy method for copying the data between a designated copy source site and a designated copy destination site of the data are calculated. A time and a cost required for copying the data and an operation cost of the secondary usage environment to be constructed are calculated for each of the calculated construction candidate plans,, and the plurality of construction candidate plans based on a calculation result together with evaluations thereof are presented.

Abstract: A planar light source has a plurality of light sources, a substrate, and a partitioning member. The partitioning member includes a first member provided with first partitioned parts each having a first bottom part and first oblique parts surrounding the first bottom part that are arranged on the substrate in a matrix, and a second member provided with second partitioned parts each having a second bottom part and second oblique parts surrounding the second bottom part that are arranged on the substrate in a matrix. The first member further has first outer oblique parts overlapping the second oblique parts located along the outer edge of the second member on the first member side. The first bottom parts and the second bottom parts each have a light source disposition opening, and the light sources are individually disposed on the substrate exposed in the light source disposition openings.

Abstract: A design support device supports design of a first compound and design of a second compound containing the first compound, and the design support device includes a first design condition proposing unit configured to propose a candidate for design condition information for the first compound that satisfies required property information for the first compound that is input; and a first property predicting unit configured to perform property prediction of the second compound based on design condition information for the second compound that is input.

Abstract: An optical transmission system, comprising: a transmission unit that maximizes a frequency interval between a plurality of channel components within a transmission band, and generates a first optical signal that is an optical signal in which the plurality of channel components are wavelength-division multiplexed, a first transmission path for transmitting the first optical signal, a phase conjugate conversion unit that generates a second optical signal by inverting a spectrum of the first optical signal, and a second transmission path for transmitting the second optical signal. The first transmission path and the second transmission path wavelength-disperse the plurality of channel components of the first optical signal and the second optical signal. The first transmission path may include one or more first optical relay units for amplifying and relaying the first optical signal.

Abstract: A liquid storage bottle includes: a bottle main body that stores a liquid; a nozzle from which the liquid stored in the bottle main body is ejected; and a cap that seals the nozzle, in which, in a first curving portion between a bottom surface and a side surface of the bottle main body in a cross-section of the bottle main body in a vertical direction, a curvature radius of an inner wall is greater than a curvature radius of an outer wall.

Abstract: A solar cell capable of preventing short-circuiting during signaling connection and a method for manufacturing the solar cell. A solar cell includes a semiconductor substrate, a first semiconductor layer having a conductivity type different from that of the semiconductor substrate. The first semiconductor layer includes a main functional portion which has a first base end portion on one side in a first direction of the semiconductor substrate over an entire length in a second direction and a plurality of first collecting portions extending from the first base end portion toward the other side in the first direction and on which a first electrode pattern is stacked, and an isolation portion which is formed linearly at an end portion on the other side in the first direction of the semiconductor substrate over an entire length in the second direction and on which the first electrode pattern is not stacked.

Abstract: The encoding device includes: a predictor configured to generate, for each component, a prediction block corresponding to an encoding-target block; a residual generator configured to generate, for each component, a prediction residual representing a difference between the encoding-target block and the prediction block; a mode selector configured to select one mode either an individual encoding mode performing a transform process and a quantization process on a prediction residual of the first component and a prediction residual of the second component for each single component, or a joint encoding mode performing a transform process and a quantization process on a joint prediction residual generated from the prediction residual of the first component and the prediction residual of the second component; a quantization controller configured to determine a quantization matrix to be applied in the quantization process based on the mode selected by the mode selector.

Abstract: A method for producing a ceramic sintered body includes: preparing a molded body containing a nitride fluorescent material having the composition containing Si; N; at least one alkaline earth metal element M1; and a metal element M2 being at least one selected from the group consisting of Eu, Ce, Tb, and Mn, to obtain a composition as described in the disclosure; obtaining a first sintered body by performing primary calcination of the molded body; obtaining a second sintered body by performing secondary calcination of the first sintered body in contact with a solid composed of a molybdenum metal or an alloy containing molybdenum as a main component; and obtaining a third sintered body by performing third calcination of the second sintered body while being placed in a container containing a metal having a melting point higher than that of the molybdenum metal.

Abstract: A deblocking filter device according to a first feature includes: a deblocking filter configured to perform a filter process on a boundary between a first reconstructed block and a second reconstructed block adjacent to the first reconstructed block; and a filter controller configured to control boundary filtering strength of the deblocking filter based on whether or not at least one of the first reconstructed block and the second reconstructed block is encoded using JCCR (Joint coding of chroma residual) in which one joint prediction residual is generated from prediction residuals of a Cb chrominance component and a Cr chrominance component.

Abstract: A light emitting device includes: a resin package including: a resin part, and a plurality of leads including a first lead and a second lead, wherein the resin package has a concave portion having a bottom face at which a part of an upper surface of the first lead and a part of an upper surface of the second lead are exposed from the resin part; a light emitting element mounted on the bottom face of the concave portion; and a sealing member covering the light emitting element in the concave portion. The plurality of leads comprise a plurality of notch parts including a first notch part on a first side corresponding to a first outer side surface of the resin package and a second notch part on a second side corresponding to a second outer side surface of the resin package.

Abstract: A lightguide component for illumination devices having an exit surface includes: a lightguide layer having a light-receiving portion to receive light emitted from a light source, a first principal face at the exit surface side, and a second principal face at an opposite side from the first principal face; a light distribution controlling structure having a plurality of internal spaces, each of the plurality of internal spaces including a first slope to direct a portion of light propagating in the lightguide layer toward the exit surface via total internal reflection, and a second slope at an opposite side from the first slope, wherein, when viewed from a normal direction of the first principal face of the lightguide layer, the first slope presents a curved surface that is convex toward the light source; and an anti-reflection layer and/or anti-glare layer disposed at the first principal face side of the lightguide layer.

Abstract: A method of producing cultured meat is provided. Cultured meat is produced by culturing animal cells in the presence of bovine basic fibroblast growth factor (bbFGF) produced by using a coryneform bacterium as an expression host.

Abstract: Disclosed is a band gap power supply circuit including a band gap core circuit to perform control in such a way that the sum of a current flowing through a diode and a current flowing through a first current path becomes equal to the sum of a current flowing through a diode and a current flowing through a second current path, and the sum of the forward direction voltage of the diode and a voltage drop across a resistor becomes equal to the forward direction voltage of the diode; and a switch control circuit to control a switch and a switch from off to on at a time of a startup of a power supply.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for controlling an air conditioning outlet of a vehicle, including: collecting an ambient temperature and a user set temperature; determining a target value according to the ambient temperature and the user set temperature; determining a target working mode from a plurality of preset working modes of an air conditioning outlet according to the target value, the working mode including a preset air outlet direction; and enabling the air conditioning outlet to work in the target working mode.