Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an electrophotographic photoreceptor, a charging device, an electrostatic latent image forming device, a developing device, a transfer device, and a cleaning device, and further includes an intercepting device that includes an intercepting member separated from the electrophotographic photoreceptor by a gap so that a distance from the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor to the intercepting member is about 0.3 to 0.9 (inclusive) times a volume-average particle size of toner particles. The intercepting member is used to intercept residual toner particles at a position downstream of the transfer device and upstream of the cleaning device in a rotation direction of the electrophotographic photoreceptor, the residual toner particles remaining on the surface of the electrophotographic photoreceptor.

Abstract: The method includes in order: forming an intermediate image by applying the aqueous ink to a transfer body; transferring the intermediate image by bringing the intermediate image into contact with the recording medium; and cleaning the transfer body by applying an aqueous cleaning liquid to the transfer body, and if necessary, further includes applying an aqueous reaction liquid containing a reactant which reacts with the aqueous ink to the transfer body, wherein at least one of the aqueous ink and the reaction liquid contains a resin particle (however, when not including the applying of the reaction liquid, the aqueous ink contains the resin particle), and the cleaning liquid contains a first water-soluble organic solvent having an SP value [unit: (J/cm3)1/2] of 17.0 or more to 29.0 or less.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording method capable of suppressing deterioration in an ejection property when voltage control of a recording head is performed. The ink jet recording method includes using an ink jet recording apparatus having a recording head equipped with a heater, a first protection layer and a second protection layer made of a metal material, and a unit of applying a voltage with the second protection layer as a cathode and an ink-mediated conduction site as an anode and ejecting the ink from the recording head to record an image on a recording medium, wherein the ink is an aqueous ink containing a component having an anionic group and a soluble metal ion having a standard electrode potential of more than 0 V.

Abstract: There is provided an ink jet recording method which records an image on a recording medium using aqueous ink. The ink jet recording method includes an intermediate image forming step of forming an intermediate image by applying aqueous ink to a transfer body and then applying an aqueous transfer promotion liquid to a region of the transfer body in which the aqueous ink is applied; and a transferring step of transferring the intermediate image by bring the intermediate image into contact with the recording medium in this order. The transfer promotion liquid contains a rosin particle formed by containing a rosin ester resin, an anionic emulsifier and a nonionic emulsifier, and the content of an alkali metal ion in the transfer promotion liquid is more than that of an alkali metal ion in the ink.

Abstract: An aqueous ink that enables recording of an image with suppressed feathering and has high ejection stability can be provided. An aqueous ink for ink jet contains a pigment, a polyhydric alcohol derivative and a water-soluble organic solvent. The polyhydric alcohol derivative is a compound in which a proportion of {Y/(X+Y)}×100 (%) where X mole(s) of ethylene oxide group(s) and Y mole(s) of propylene oxide group(s) are added to polyhydric alcohol having three or more hydroxy groups is 55% or more to 95% or less. The water-soluble organic solvent includes a first water-soluble organic solvent having a relative dielectric constant of 10.0 or more to 40.0 or less.

Abstract: Provided is an ink jet recording method capable of suppressing movement of a coloring material and adhesion thereof to a porous layer even after repeated contact of the porous layer with a first image. This method of recording an image on a recording medium by using an aqueous reaction liquid and a water-based ink containing a first ink includes applying a reaction liquid containing a reactant and resin particles to the entirety of a first recording medium; applying a coloring material-containing first ink to the first recording medium to form a first image; and bringing a porous layer of a liquid absorption member into contact with the first image to absorb a liquid component from a first-image-including portion on the first recording medium. The volume-based cumulative pore size (?m) at 10% of the porous layer is greater than the volume-based cumulative particle size (?m) at 90% of the resin particles.

Abstract: A polyimide laminated film includes a porous polyimide layer that has a porosity of from 30% to 90% and pores having a spherical shape and a non-porous polyimide layer that has a porosity of 5% or less.

Abstract: A method of recording an image on a recording medium by applying an auxiliary liquid containing a water-soluble resin and wax particles to an intermediate image formed on an intermediate transfer member, bringing the intermediate image into contact with the recording medium at a temperature higher than a melting point of the wax particles, subsequently peeling off the intermediate image from the intermediate transfer member at a temperature lower than the melting point of the wax particles and transferring the intermediate image onto the recording medium. The method can improve the efficiency of transferring the intermediate image from the intermediate transfer member onto the recording medium.

Abstract: A method of recording an image on a recording medium by applying an auxiliary liquid containing a water-soluble resin and wax particles to an intermediate image formed on an intermediate transfer member, bringing the intermediate image into contact with the recording medium at a temperature higher than a melting point of the wax particles, subsequently peeling off the intermediate image from the intermediate transfer member at a temperature lower than the melting point of the wax particles and transferring the intermediate image onto the recording medium. The method can improve the efficiency of transferring the intermediate image from the intermediate transfer member onto the recording medium.

Abstract: Electrophotographic photoreceptor including a conductive substrate, an organic photosensitive layer on an outer peripheral surface of the conductive substrate, and an inorganic protective layer on an outer peripheral surface of the organic photosensitive layer, the inorganic protective layer containing gallium and oxygen. A volume resistivity of an inner region of the inorganic protective layer, the inner region extending 0.2 ?m or about 0.2 ?m from an inner peripheral surface of the inorganic protective layer in a thickness direction, and a volume resistivity of an outer region of the inorganic protective layer, the outer region extending 0.2 ?m or about 0.2 ?m from an outer peripheral surface of the inorganic protective layer in the thickness direction, are both 6.0×107 ?·cm or more and 4.0×108 ?·cm or less or about 6.0×107 ?·cm or more and about 4.0×108 ?·cm or less.

Abstract: A polyimide precursor solution includes resin particles, an aqueous solvent including water, a polyimide precursor, an organic amine compound, and a water-soluble nonionic surfactant.

Abstract: Provided is an information processing system for synchronizing data among nodes, wherein each of the nodes includes a processor configured to: determine from among the nodes a node that has responsibility for distribution of the data based on a distributed algorithm common to all the nodes; and distribute information for identifying a determined node to a remaining node other than the determined node.

Abstract: A polyimide precursor solution contains resin particles and a polyimide precursor. The resin particles in the polyimide precursor solution have a volume particle size distribution with one or more peaks. The volume frequency of a peak having the highest volume frequency of the one or more peaks accounts for 90% to 100% of the total volume frequency of all peaks of the volume particle size distribution.

Abstract: A screening method evaluates influence of a cytotoxic factor on lymphoid cells. The method includes administering or irradiating lymphoid cells with the cytotoxic factor that injures the lymphoid cells; incubating the lymphoid cells to which the cytotoxic factor is administered or irradiated for a selected time; measuring a cell size of the lymphoid cells after the incubation; and determining influence of the cytotoxic factor on the lymphoid cells based on a change of the cell size. According to this method, influence of radiation or a drug, or efficacy of radiation, a radiation-protecting agent, an antioxidant, a radiation-sensitizing agent, a drug, or ultraviolet rays can be evaluated economically and objectively in a short period of time.

Abstract: An image recording method including the steps of applying an ink containing a pigment to a recording medium and applying a treatment liquid containing an organic acid to the recording medium so as to overlap at least a part of a region to which the ink is applied. The treatment liquid contains at least one organic compound having an anionic group, and an amino group or quaternary ammonium in its molecular structure and having surface-activating capability.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive base; an organic photosensitive layer disposed on the conductive base, the organic photosensitive layer including a layer that constitutes a surface and contains a charge transport material, a binder resin having a viscosity-average molecular weight less than about 50,000, and silica particles in an amount of about 40% by weight or more; and an inorganic protective layer disposed on the organic photosensitive layer.

Abstract: There is provided a flow rate adjustment apparatus including a main body inside which a fluid flow passage that guides a fluid has been formed, in which the main body is formed of a conductive fluorine resin material containing a fluorine resin material, and a carbon nanotube dispersed in the fluorine resin material, and in which a volume resistivity of the conductive fluorine resin material is more than 1.0×103 ?·cm and less than 1.0×104 ?·cm.

Abstract: An image recording method including the steps of applying an ink containing a coloring material and anionic resin particles to a recording medium, and applying a liquid composition to the recording medium so as to at least partly overlap with an area where the ink is applied, the liquid composition destabilizing a dispersion state of the coloring material or of the anionic resin particles in the ink. The ink contains a trihydric or higher polyhydric alcohol compound having a group formed by substituting a hydrogen atom of a hydroxyl group by a structure represented by —Rn—H, where R is an alkyleneoxy group including an ethyleneoxy group, and the number of Rs per molecule is 40 or more and 120 or less when the polyhydric alcohol is a trihydric alcohol and is 12 or more and 400 or less when the polyhydric alcohol is a tetrahydric or higher polyhydric alcohol.

Abstract: An image recording method including the steps of forming an image by applying an ink to an ink receiving member and applying a treatment liquid containing an ink-viscosity-increasing component to the ink receiving medium so as to overlap with at least a part of a region of the ink receiving medium to which the ink is applied. The treatment liquid contains a surfactant which lowers a surface tension of water to 25 mN/m or less when added into the water in an amount of 0.

Abstract: An information processing system includes a GW and a portable communication device. The GW includes a transmitter that transmits, to the portable communication device that is located within a given area, a request to transmit information; a receiver that receives a response to the request to transmit information from the portable communication device; and a data acquisition controller that, when the number of responses received is larger than a maximum allowable number to the GW, adjusts the area to which the request to transmit information is transmitted such that the number of responses is equal to or smaller than the maximum allowable number and that, when the number of responses is equal to or smaller than the maximum allowable number to the GW, adjusts an area to which the request to transmit information is transmitted, which is an area different from the area to which the request has been transmitted.