Abstract: A method for producing molecular assemblies of an amphiphilic block polymer includes applying a polymer solution in a layered shape on a planar base member, the polymer solution including an amphiphilic block polymer and a solvent, the amphiphilic block polymer having a hydrophilic block chain including 20 or more sarcosine units and a hydrophobic block chain including 10 or more lactic acid units, forming a polymer film on the planar base member by removing the solvent from a coated layer of the polymer solution, and obtaining molecular assemblies by bringing the polymer film into contact with a water-based liquid. The planar base member is a flexible long film.

Abstract: The hydrogel composition of the present invention includes an amphiphilic block polymer having a hydrophilic block chain having 20 or more sarcosine units and a hydrophobic block chain having 10 or more lactic acid units, and water as a dispersion medium. In the hydrogel composition, the amphiphilic block polymer is preferably present as hydrogel nano-particles having a particle diameter of 100 nm or less. The hydrogel can be prepared by mixing an amphiphilic block polymer with an aqueous liquid. The hydrogel is preferably substantially free of an organic solvent.

Abstract: Provided is a molecular assembly having any nano-sized particle diameter depending on its intended use and application, in various fields such as pharmaceutical drugs, agricultural, chemicals, cosmetics, food products, and electronics. Furthermore, provided is a nano-carrier for delivering various substances using the molecular assembly having any nano-sized particle diameter. A molecular assembly comprising: an amphiphilic block polymer A1 comprising a hydrophilic block having a sarcosine unit and a hydrophobic block having a lactic acid unit; and an amorphous hydrophobic polymer A2 having an aliphatic hydroxy acid unit, wherein a number of aliphatic hydroxy acid units contained in the amorphous hydrophobic polymer A2 exceeds twice a number of lactic acid units contained in the hydrophobic block of the amphiphilic block polymer A1.

Abstract: Provided is a skin external preparation including a drug and nanometer-size molecular assemblies. The molecular assemblies contain an amphiphilic block copolymer having a hydrophilic block chain including a sarcosine-derived structural unit and a hydrophobic block chain including a hydroxy acid-derived structural unit. The skin external preparation according to the present invention may reduce skin irritation caused by the drug, be very safe, and have excellent pharmacological effects, even when a drug that is generally difficult to be transdermally administered due to its strong skin irritation is contained therein.

Abstract: A control device of an engine, the engine including: a piston contained in a cylinder; an intake passage communicated to a combustion chamber of the cylinder; an exhaust passage led from the combustion chamber; a fuel injection valve configured to inject fuel to the combustion chamber or the intake passage; and an ignition unit provided in the combustion chamber, includes: a low speed pre-ignition predicting unit configured to perform prediction of occurrence of low speed pre-ignition, based on operation condition of the engine; and a lubricating oil injection controlling unit configured to control a lubricating oil injecting device to inject lubricating oil to the piston or a member located around the piston, based on the prediction of the occurrence of the low speed pre-ignition performed by the low speed pre-ignition predicting unit.

Abstract: An engine control device (1) having a supercharger (30) includes an injection controller (3) that controls injections of fuel through a cylinder injection valve (11) and through a port injection valve (12), based on a rotation speed Ne of an engine (10), and a variable valve controller (5) that controls a variable valve actuating mechanism (40) based on the rotation speed Ne. The variable valve controller (5) provides a valve overlap period in a first rotation speed region, and shortens the valve overlap period in a second rotation speed region of greater rotation speeds Ne than in the first rotation speed region. The injection controller (3), in the period during which the rotation speed is shifting from the first rotation speed region to the second rotation speed region, carries out a cylinder injection and a port injection, and advances timing for injecting the fuel through the port injection valve (12).

Abstract: The nanoparticles of the present invention consist of a molecular aggregate containing an amphipathic block polymer that has a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block. It is preferable that the amphipathic block polymer be biodegradable. The nanoparticles of the present invention are obtained by granulating into particles an amphipathic block polymer in the presence of an amino acid whose isoelectric point is 7 or less. In one embodiment, the granulation is done by bringing a solution containing an amphipathic block polymer or the dried product thereof into contact with an aqueous liquid. Granulation can be done in the presence of an amino acid by including an amino acid whose isoelectric point is 7 or less in either a solution that contains an amphipathic block polymer or in an aqueous liquid, or in both.

Abstract: An engine control device for an engine provided with a supercharger, including a cylinder injection valve and a port injection valve. The device includes an injection controller that controls injections of fuel through the cylinder injection valve and through the port injection valve, on the basis of at least a load on an engine. The injection controller, in a low load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the port injection valve; in an intermediate load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the cylinder injection valve during an intake stroke, and causes the fuel to be injected through the port injection valve; and in a high load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the cylinder injection valve at least during an intake stroke and during a compression stroke.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for nanoparticles including an amphiphilic block polymer having a uniform particle diameters has steps of forming a laminar flow of polymer solution by inducing a solution comprising an amphiphilic block polymer having a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block in an organic solvent into a polymer solution supply flow passage, a step of forming at least two laminar flows of a water system solution by inducing the water system solution to at least two water system solution supply passages, and a step of forming nanoparticles comprising the amphiphilic block polymer by making a confluence as if at least two laminar flows of water system solution sandwich the laminar flow of the polymer solution.

Abstract: An engine includes first nozzles, second nozzles and a control unit. The first nozzles are arranged in cylinders, and inject fuel directly into the cylinders respectively. The second nozzles are arranged in intake ports of the cylinders, and inject fuel into the intake ports respectively. The control unit controls fuel injection of the first nozzles and the second nozzles. When the engine is started, the control unit performs initial fuel injection by one of the first and second nozzles into the cylinders having odd-number of initial ignition order, and performs initial fuel injection by the other one of the first and second nozzles into the cylinders having even-number of initial ignition order.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus both for producing molecular assemblies of an amphiphilic block polymer. The method of the present invention includes: applying a polymer solution (45) containing an amphiphilic block polymer and a solvent in a layered shape on a planar base member (11) in a film forming part (40); forming a polymer film on the base member (13) by removing the solvent from the coated layer of the solution in a drying part (30); and producing molecular assemblies by bringing the polymer film into contact with a water-based liquid (55) in a molecular assembly forming part (50). The amphiphilic block polymer has a hydrophilic block chain and a hydrophobic block chain. The hydrophilic block chain preferably has 20 or more sarcosine units, and the hydrophobic block chain preferably has 10 or more lactic acid units.

Abstract: Fuel in a fuel tank is supplied by a low-pressure pump to intake passage injectors mounted on an intake manifold via a low-pressure fuel supply pipe and a low-pressure fuel distribution pipe. A high-pressure pump is provided on the low-pressure fuel supply pipe. The pressure of the fuel is boosted by the high-pressure pump, and then is supplied to in-cylinder injectors via a high-pressure fuel distribution pipe. In an intake passage injection (MPI) mode, excitation of a solenoid is stopped and operation of an electromagnetic spill valve is stopped so as reduce vibration and noise caused by the seating of the electromagnetic spill valve in a valve seat.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a nanoparticle having a uniform particle diameter.

Abstract: Provided is a skin external preparation including a drug and nanometer-size molecular assemblies. The molecular assemblies contain an amphiphilic block copolymer having a hydrophilic block chain including a sarcosine-derived structural unit and a hydrophobic block chain including a hydroxy acid-derived structural unit. The skin external preparation according to the present invention may reduce skin irritation caused by the drug, be very safe, and have excellent pharmacological effects, even when a drug that is generally difficult to be transdermally administered due to its strong skin irritation is contained therein.

Abstract: A control device of an engine, the engine including: a piston contained in a cylinder; an intake passage communicated to a combustion chamber of the cylinder; an exhaust passage led from the combustion chamber; a fuel injection valve configured to inject fuel to the combustion chamber or the intake passage; and an ignition unit provided in the combustion chamber, includes: a low speed pre-ignition predicting unit configured to perform prediction of occurrence of low speed pre-ignition, based on operation condition of the engine; and a lubricating oil injection controlling unit configured to control a lubricating oil injecting device to inject lubricating oil to the piston or a member located around the piston, based on the prediction of the occurrence of the low speed pre-ignition performed by the low speed pre-ignition predicting unit.

Abstract: A manufacturing method for nanoparticles including an amphiphilic block polymer having a uniform particle diameters has steps of forming a laminar flow of polymer solution by inducing a solution comprising an amphiphilic block polymer having a hydrophilic block and a hydrophobic block in an organic solvent into a polymer solution supply flow passage, a step of forming at least two laminar flows of a water system solution by inducing the water system solution to at least two water system solution supply passages, and a step of forming nanoparticles comprising the amphiphilic block polymer by making a confluence as if at least two laminar flows of water system solution sandwich the laminar flow of the polymer solution.

Abstract: Provided is a control unit (1) for an internal combustion engine (10) including a direct injector (11) directly injecting fuel into a cylinder (20) and a port injector (12) injecting fuel into an intake port (17). The control unit (1) includes an injection volume calculator (5) to calculate a volume of the fuel injected from the direct injector (11), a port injection controller (2) to control a volume of the fuel injected from the port injector (12), an overlap period controller (4) to control an overlap period during which both an intake valve (27) and an exhaust valve (28) are open, and a changer (6) to vary both the volume of the port injection from the port injector (12) and the overlap period based on the volume of the direct injection.

Abstract: An engine control device (1) for an engine provided with a supercharger (30), including a cylinder injection valve (11), a port injection valve (12), and a variable valve actuating mechanism (40). The device includes an injection controller (3) that controls injections of fuel through the cylinder injection valve (11) and through the port injection valve (12), on the basis of a load P on the engine (10), and a variable valve controller (5) that controls the variable valve actuating mechanism (40) on the basis of the load P. The variable valve controller (5) provides a valve overlap period in an operating state where the load P is equal to or greater than a first predetermined value P1.

Abstract: A control unit for an internal combustion engine includes a load detector to detect a load on the engine, an injection volume calculator to calculate a cylinder injection volume indicating a volume of fuel injected from a direct injector, a first controller to perform a first control for increasing the frequency of the injection by the direct injector upon a reduction in the cylinder injection volume, a second controller to perform a second control for increasing a port injection volume indicating a volume of fuel injected from a port injector upon a reduction in the cylinder injection volume, and a switching controller to switch between the first control with the first controller and the second control with the second controller depending on the load.

Abstract: An engine control device for an engine provided with a supercharger, including a cylinder injection valve and a port injection valve. The device includes an injection controller that controls injections of fuel through the cylinder injection valve and through the port injection valve, on the basis of at least a load on an engine. The injection controller, in a low load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the port injection valve; in an intermediate load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the cylinder injection valve during an intake stroke, and causes the fuel to be injected through the port injection valve; and in a high load operating state, causes the fuel to be injected through the cylinder injection valve at least during an intake stroke and during a compression stroke.