Abstract: An aqueous hydrophobic silica dispersion includes a hydrophilic particulate silica, a hydrophobic particulate silica having a methanol number of at least 60, and a dispersant having at least one cationic or cationizable group and an HLB ratio of 2 to 20.

Abstract: Provided are a method for separating mammalian sperm, by which even a large amount of sperm can be separated in a short time and decrease in motility of the separated sperm can be prevented; and an artificial insemination method, and an in vitro fertilization method. The method for separating mammalian sperm includes incubating the sperm in a medium containing a TLR7 ligand, and separating them into sperm floating in the upper layer and sperm sinking in the lower layer of the medium. The artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization methods include artificial insemination or in vitro fertilization for a non-human mammal using sperm of the non-human mammal separated by the method for separating mammalian sperm.

Abstract: A method of shot peening according to the present invention includes: placing a jig having an appropriate dimension at one face side of a stamped workpiece; and performing shot peening on another face side of the workpiece in a state where the jig is placed at the one face side of the workpiece, and conforming the workpiece to the jig. At this time, the shot peening may be performed in such a way that residual stresses in the inner side and the outer side of the curved part of the workpiece will become compressive stresses.

Abstract: A strobe device is provided with a light-emitting unit rotatably coupled to a strobe body unit detachable from a bracket together with an imaging apparatus, a variable mechanism configured to allow a change in an angle of orientation of the light-emitting unit with respect to the strobe body unit, a driving unit configured to drive the variable mechanism, and a control section configured to control the driving unit. The control section has a control mode to restrain the light-emitting unit from moving to a region in which the imaging apparatus is located when it is detected that the strobe body unit is attached to the bracket. As a result, the strobe device whose the light-emitting unit does not bump against the imaging apparatus can be realized.

Abstract: A flash device of the present invention includes a flash main body, a light emitting section rotatably coupled to the flash main body, and a variable mechanism that can vary the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section between a normal irradiation direction angle and a desired irradiation direction angle different from the normal irradiation direction angle. The flash device further includes a drive section for driving the variable mechanism, a vertical direction angle detecting section for detecting the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section, and a control device for changing, with the drive section, the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section to the desired irradiation direction angle based on a detection signal of the vertical direction angle detecting section.

Abstract: A method of shot peening according to the present invention includes: placing a jig having an appropriate dimension at one face side of a stamped workpiece; and performing shot peening on another face side of the workpiece in a state where the jig is placed at the one face side of the workpiece, and conforming the workpiece to the jig. At this time, the shot peening may be performed in such a way that residual stresses in the inner side and the outer side of the curved part of the workpiece will become compressive stresses.

Abstract: A strobe device is provided with a light-emitting unit rotatably coupled to a strobe body unit detachable from a bracket together with an imaging apparatus, a variable mechanism configured to allow a change in an angle of orientation of the light-emitting unit with respect to the strobe body unit, a driving unit configured to drive the variable mechanism, and a control section configured to control the driving unit. The control section has a control mode to restrain the light-emitting unit from moving to a region in which the imaging apparatus is located when it is detected that the strobe body unit is attached to the bracket. As a result, the strobe device whose the light-emitting unit does not bump against the imaging apparatus can be realized.

Abstract: The present invention has a strobe body unit, a light-emitting unit rotatably coupled to a strobe body unit, and a strobe control unit configured to control a light-emitting direction angle of the light-emitting unit and an amount of light from the light-emitting unit. The strobe control unit has a first preliminary light-emitting mode for making the light-emitting unit emit light toward a reflective object; a second preliminary light-emitting mode for making the light-emitting unit emit light toward a subject; and a main light-emitting mode for making the light-emitting unit emit light toward the reflective object with the amount of light greater than any of the first preliminary light-emitting mode and the second preliminary light-emitting mode to irradiate the subject with bounce light reflected from the reflective object. With that configuration, a strobe device, an imaging apparatus, and an image processing method configured to obtain a desired image are realized.

Abstract: A strobe device according to the present invention includes: a strobe main body; a light emitter; a vertical direction changer that includes a first driver that drives the light emitter in a vertical direction and that includes a vertical direction angle detector that detects vertical direction angle information; a horizontal direction changer that includes a second driver that drives the light emitter in a horizontal direction and that includes a horizontal direction angle detector that detects horizontal direction angle information; a distance measurer that obtains distance information; an imager; a subject recognizer that generates subject recognition information; and a drive controller. The drive controller controls operations of the first driver and the second driver, based on the vertical direction angle information, the horizontal direction angle information, the distance information, and the subject recognition information.

Abstract: A method for adjusting the illumination direction angle of a strobe device includes the steps of: transmitting to a specific strobe device, a first signal related to the present illumination direction angle of the strobe device being adjusted; based on the first signal, causing the illumination direction angle of the specific strobe device to correspond to the illumination direction angle of the strobe device being adjusted; changing the illumination direction angle of the specific strobe device to a state desirable for the strobe device being adjusted; transmitting, to the strobe device being adjusted, the amount of further change in the illumination direction angle of the specific strobe device, as a second signal; and changing the illumination direction angle of the strobe device being adjusted, based on the second signal. With this method, the illumination direction angle of the strobe device can be remotely adjusted.

Abstract: A strobe device of the present invention includes strobe main body, light emitting section, variable mechanism, driving section, first distance measuring section for acquiring information of the distance between strobe device and a subject, second distance measuring section for acquiring information of the distance between strobe device and a bounce surface, a distance measurement computing section for computing the bounce irradiation angle of light emitting section, and vertical angle detecting section for acquiring the angle information of light emitting section. The strobe device further includes a control device for controlling driving section so that the angle of light emitting section becomes equal to the bounce irradiation angle on the basis of the bounce irradiation angle and the angle information of light emitting section. The light emitting section can be accurately set at the bounce irradiation angle.

Abstract: A flash device of the present invention includes a flash main body, a light emitting section rotatably coupled to the flash main body, and a variable mechanism that can vary the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section between a normal irradiation direction angle and a desired irradiation direction angle different from the normal irradiation direction angle. The flash device further includes a drive section for driving the variable mechanism, a vertical direction angle detecting section for detecting the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section, and a control device for changing, with the drive section, the angle in the vertical direction of the light emitting section to the desired irradiation direction angle based on a detection signal of the vertical direction angle detecting section.

Abstract: In a control apparatus which transmits/receives data from a central processing unit via a serial transfer channel to a communication control unit, and groups/distributes data of input/output units from the communication control unit via a parallel transfer channel, the control apparatus initiates a diagnosing unit of the parallel transfer channel in response to an instruction issued from the central processing unit, and diagnosis the input/output units subsequent to the diagnosis of the transmission channel. Data input/output timing of the input/output unit is also instructed from the central processing unit, so that the central processing unit can suppress lowering of response speeds caused by the diagnoses, and can maintain the periodicity of the data input/output.