Abstract: A carbon fiber composite material which includes a carbon fiber sheet as a reinforcing material and a thermoplastic resin as a matrix resin, the carbon fiber sheet exhibiting a work per areal weight of 1×10?3 to 30×10?3 [(N·mm)/(g/m2)] in a tensile test using a specimen having a width of 25 mm. The carbon fiber composite material exhibits excellent flowability in molding and ensures excellent moldability even when molded into a complicated shape. Further, the composite material can yield a molded product which has high mechanical properties with minimized dispersion, thus being suitable for press molding.

Abstract: A negative electrode 1 for lithium secondary batteries, which can increase the charge/discharge capacity of a lithium secondary battery, includes a negative electrode current collector, a negative electrode active material layer, and a lithium layer. The negative electrode active material layer is disposed on regions and of the respective surfaces and of the negative electrode current collector. The lithium layer is disposed on uncovered regions and, which are regions of the respective surfaces and of the negative electrode current collector on which the negative electrode active material layer is not disposed. The lithium layer includes lithium.

Abstract: The vehicle braking device includes a hydraulic pressure generating device generating a primary hydraulic pressure corresponding to the braking operation by a driver, a motor cylinder device operating to cause the secondary hydraulic pressure generated by operation of the electric motor to track the target hydraulic pressure based on the control operation quantity, a brake pedal sensor detecting the braking operation quantity, a primary hydraulic pressure sensor, an ECU performing switching control in accordance with whether the braking operation quantity detected by the brake pedal sensor reaches a predetermined threshold value, between operating the motor cylinder device on the basis of the braking operation quantity and operating the motor cylinder device on the basis of a correlation value of the braking operation force detected by the motor cylinder device 16 or the correlation value and the braking operation quantity.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle brake system capable of appropriately setting an upper limit value of hydraulic pressure of a by-wire brake during stopping of a vehicle in accordance with conditions. When the vehicle is stopped, a maximum allowable drive voltage calculation unit sets a maximum allowable drive voltage to V2, and sets a brake pressure generated by a motor to P2. When the vehicle is stopped, if a duration time of stopping of the vehicle or a duration time of generation of the brake pressure exceeds a reference value, the maximum allowable drive voltage calculation unit sets the maximum allowable drive voltage to V3, and sets the brake pressure generated by the motor to P3 which is lower than P2.

Abstract: In a brake-by-wire brake system which includes a motor actuated cylinder configured to produce a brake fluid pressure according to an operating stroke thereof and an electric motor for actuating the motor actuated cylinder, the control mode is normally based on a fluid pressure control, but is switched to a stroke control when the brake pedal is released for the purpose of quickly reducing the operating stroke of the motor actuated cylinder to an initial value. To avoid a sudden increase in the noises of the electric motor at the time of switching from the fluid pressure control to the stroke control, a limit circuit limits electric current supplied to the electric motor when the control mode is switched from the fluid pressure control to the stroke control.

Abstract: A valve system of a braking device provided with a stroke simulator that is connected via a connection passage with a pipe for making a master cylinder communicate with a wheel cylinder; and a third shut-off valve that is a solenoid valve and performs opening and closing of a communication between the master cylinder and the stroke simulator, wherein the third shut-off valve is a normally closed valve; and the valve system opens the third shut-off valve by applying a start-up voltage, thereafter keeps the open state of the third shut-off valve by alternately applying a holding voltage that is lower than the start-up voltage and the start-up voltage, in order to prevent heat generated in the valve from becoming excessively high even while keeping the open state of the valve.

Abstract: An electric brake device includes: a motor cylinder device that generates a hydraulic pressure in accordance with a brake operation of a driver with an electric motor; a rotational angle sensor that detects a rotor rotational angle ? of the electric motor; and a motor control section that controls an output torque of the electric motor corresponding to the rotor rotational angle ? and controls the electric motor by advancing a detection value of the rotational angle sensor. The current phase setup section sets a current phase to an advanced side as an electrical advance control. The current phase setup section inhibits the advancing the detection value when the electric motor performs reversed rotation, or sets the current phase to a retarded side.

Abstract: There is provided a brake system for vehicles, the brake system including: a slave cylinder S/C to generate a hydraulic pressure by an electric motor according to a braking operation by a driver; and a controller to decrease an operation amount of the slave cylinder S/C when an operation amount of the electric motor is maintained, then increase an operation amount of the slave cylinder S/C when a change occurs in an operation amount of the electric motor subsequently. The controller determines whether or not the phase currents Iu, Iv, Iw of the electric motor are in two-phase continuously energized state and the state remains for a certain time or longer. When the determination conditions are satisfied, the controller performs commutation control to generate commutation in the electric motor by reducing a target hydraulic pressure of the slave cylinder S/C.

Abstract: A vehicle brake system includes a slave cylinder configured to drive an electric motor and generate a brake fluid pressure by moving pistons with a ball screw shaft; normally open type master cut valves that communicate/shut off between the slave cylinder and a master cylinder; and a control unit that controls the electric motor to close the master cut valves and limit a displacement of the ball screw shaft on the basis of a reference position during operation of a VSA device.

Abstract: A vehicle braking system includes an operation amount detector, a hydraulic pressure source, a controller, and a wheel cylinder. The hydraulic pressure source is to generate brake hydraulic pressure corresponding to an amount of operation detected by the operation amount detector. The wheel cylinder is to be operated by the brake hydraulic pressure generated by the hydraulic pressure source. The hydraulic pressure source includes a first actuator and a second actuator. The first actuator includes a piston and an electric motor. The electric motor is configured to move the piston forwardly to generate the brake hydraulic pressure. The second actuator includes a pump configured to pressurize brake fluid located downstream of the first actuator. The controller is configured to selectively operate the first actuator and the second actuator based on the amount of operation detected by the operation amount detector.

Abstract: A carbon fiber composite material includes the material is made of carbon fibers and a thermoplastic resin; the proportion Y, relative to the total weight of carbon fibers, of carbon fiber bundles for which Mn/(Ln×D) is 8.5×10?1 (mg/mm2) or more, is 30?Y<90 (wt %); the average value X of Mn/Ln for the carbon fiber bundles is 1.1×10?2?X?8.1×10?2 (mg/mm); and Y satisfies Y?100X+30, wherein Mn: weight of carbon fiber bundles, Ln: fiber length of carbon fibers, D: fiber diameter of carbon fibers. The carbon fiber composite material combines high flowability and mechanical properties, has few variations in mechanical properties and shows an excellent adaptability of carbon fibers for small parts such as ribs.

Abstract: A measurement plate 10 for MALDI mass spectrometry consists of a base plate 11 having an upper surface and a carbon sheet 12 laid on at least a portion of the upper surface. The carbon sheet 12 is a highly-oriented graphite sheet with the orientation direction being parallel to the upper surface. The highly-oriented graphite sheet has a high thermal conductivity in the in-plane direction and a low thermal conductivity in the perpendicular direction. Therefore, the thermal energy generated in a matrix substance by laser irradiation is quickly transferred through the highly-oriented graphite sheet in the in-plane direction. As a result, the thermal energy is uniformly distributed within the laser-irradiated area, so that the reaction of sublimation and ionization of the target sample assisted by the matrix substance uniformly takes place. Thus, a decrease in the detection sensitivity is prevented.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film manufacturing method which realizes stable, highly-efficient film formation using a nozzle-type evaporation source while avoiding unnecessary scattering and deposition of a film formation material before the start of the film formation. Used is a film forming apparatus including: an evaporation chamber 16; a film forming chamber 17 in which a substrate 21 is provided; an evaporation source 19 holding a film formation material 15 and including an opening surface 14; a moving mechanism 35 configured to cause the evaporation source 19 to move; and a conductance variable structure 34. The film forming chamber 17 and the evaporation chamber 16 are evacuated. In a state where the differential pressure between these chambers can be secured by the conductance variable structure 34, the nonreactive gas is introduced to the evaporation chamber 16 to adjust the pressure in the evaporation chamber 16 to predetermined pressure or more.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thin film manufacturing method which realizes stable, highly-efficient film formation using a nozzle-type evaporation source while avoiding unnecessary scattering and deposition of a film formation material after the termination of the film formation. Used is a film forming apparatus including: an evaporation chamber 16; a film forming chamber 17 in which a substrate 21 is provided; an evaporation source 19 holding a film formation material 15 and including an opening surface 14; a moving mechanism 35 configured to cause the evaporation source 19 to move; and a conductance variable structure 34.

Abstract: An information providing apparatus includes a unit that presents an effectiveness of introducing a service of informing a driver during driving of information related to a point where hard braking is apt to happen, by comparing driving data when the service is provided and driving data when the service is not provided, and outputting a comparison result.

Abstract: A chimeric non-human animal having an in vivo human hepatocyte population, wherein the effects of non-human animal cells on drug metabolism are suppressed or deleted is provided. A method for producing a chimeric non-human animal that lacks a drug-metabolizing system or has a suppressed drug-metabolizing system and is provided with a drug-metabolizing system driven by human hepatocytes, is provided. The method comprises transplanting human hepatocytes into a non-human animal characterized by (i) being immunodeficient, (ii) having liver damage, and (iii) lacking the functions of an endogenous Cyp3a gene.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.

Abstract: The present invention provides a probe that further promotes ionization in proteomic analysis using mass spectrometry, and a high-sensitive mass spectrometry method for a protein using such a probe. Further, the present invention provides an ionization-enhancing probe that can be used even for a protein that has a high degree of hydrophobicity and quickly turns over, and a high-sensitive mass spectrometry method for a protein using such a probe. A thiol probe for a protein, which is represented by the following formula (I): [Chemical Formula 1] wherein R1 represents a linker group, and R2 represents a substituted ammonium group or a substituted amino group. A mass spectrometry method for a protein, comprising the steps of: obtaining a modified protein by reacting the thiol probe with a protein to be subjected to mass spectrometry; and subjecting the modified protein to mass spectrometry.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: an image bearing member for bearing a toner image; a belt for conveying the toner image; and a transfer device for rubbing the belt, and a surface of the transfer device, which is brought into contact with the belt includes linear concave portions or linear convex portions. The image forming apparatus of the present invention prevents a friction force between the belt and the transfer device rubbing the belt from increasing and brings a transfer member into a stable contact with the belt for conveying the toner image, thereby suppressing increase in drive torque of the belt which rubs the transfer device and suppressing occurrence of image failure.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member for carrying a toner image, a movable intermediary transfer member for receiving the toner image from the image bearing member, a primary transfer member for primary transfer of the toner image from the image bearing member onto the intermediary transfer member, a secondary transfer member for being supplied with a voltage and for secondary transfer of the toner image from the intermediary transfer member onto a transfer material, and a first toner charging member. A first charging member rubs a surface of the intermediary transfer member with movement thereof, and a second charging member moves in contact with the intermediary transfer member, thereby transferring toner remaining on the intermediary transfer member after the secondary transfer back to the image bearing member from the intermediary transfer member simultaneously with the primary transfer at the primary transfer station.