Abstract: Provided is a cleaning member, comprising an elastic member that includes polyurethane, wherein: when tan ? of a test piece sampled from the elastic member is measured in the temperature range of ?20° C. to +60° C., the peak temperature of a peak indicating the maximum value of tan ? is at 15.0° C. or below; the maximum value of tan ? is 0.20 to 0.55; tan ? at a temperature of 55° C. is 0.13 or larger; and where the detected quantity of all ions obtained when the test piece is heated at a rate of temperature increase of 10° C./second to 1000° C. using a direct-sampling mass spectrometer is M1 and the integrated intensity of a peak in a derived ion thermogram that corresponds to a range of m/z values originating in multifunctional isocyanate with at least three isocyanate groups is M2, M2/M1 is at least 0.001.

Abstract: A vehicle windshield wiper blade comprising: a blade support portion; and a lip portion, wherein the lip portion has a tapered portion having a cross section that is taken along a direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the wiper blade and that has a width that gradually decreases from a side closer to the blade support portion towards a direction farthest away from the blade support portion, the lip portion has a tip surface and first and second tapered surfaces constituting the tapered portion, and, in a specific observation region of the first and second tapered surfaces, the average value of the elastic modulus measured at a 0.1 ?m pitch is 15-470 MPa and the coefficient of variation of the elastic modulus is at most 17.6%.

Abstract: A plasma actuator includes: a dielectric layer; a first electrode provided on the obverse surface of the dielectric layer; a second electrode provided, on the reverse-surface side of the dielectric layer, in one direction from the first electrode; a floating conductor pair that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and that has an obverse-surface conductor provided on the obverse surface of the dielectric layer and a reverse-surface conductor provided on the reverse-surface side of the dielectric layer, the obverse-surface conductor and the reverse-surface conductor being electrically connected to each other, electrically insulated from the first electrode and the second electrode, and positioned in the order of the reverse-surface conductor and the obverse-surface conductor in the one direction from the first electrode in plan view; and a power source connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: A plasma actuator includes: a dielectric layer; a first electrode provided on the obverse surface of the dielectric layer; a second electrode provided, on the reverse-surface side of the dielectric layer, in one direction from the first electrode; a floating conductor pair that is provided between the first electrode and the second electrode and that has an obverse-surface conductor provided on the obverse surface of the dielectric layer and a reverse-surface conductor provided on the reverse-surface side of the dielectric layer, the obverse-surface conductor and the reverse-surface conductor being electrically connected to each other, electrically insulated from the first electrode and the second electrode, and positioned in the order of the reverse-surface conductor and the obverse-surface conductor in the one direction from the first electrode in plan view; and a power source connected to the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a surface of an optical window includes a first electrode that is provided inside the optical window and is covered with a dielectric material forming the optical window. A second electrode is provided around the optical window and is exposed on at least one surface of the optical window. A power supply is electrically coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode. The apparatus further includes a controller that controls the power supply so as to generate dielectric barrier discharge along the surface of the optical window by applying a high-frequency or pulsed voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: An apparatus for cleaning a surface of an optical window includes a first electrode that is provided inside the optical window and is covered with a dielectric material forming the optical window. A second electrode is provided around the optical window and is exposed on at least one surface of the optical window. A power supply is electrically coupled between the first electrode and the second electrode. The apparatus further includes a controller that controls the power supply so as to generate dielectric barrier discharge along the surface of the optical window by applying a high-frequency or pulsed voltage between the first electrode and the second electrode.

Abstract: Stable combustion becomes possible even in a super-lean combustion engine or an engine that carries out a large amount of EGR. In a spark discharge ignition promoting apparatus, non-thermal plasma is generated in a cylinder by a non-thermal plasma generating unit. The non-thermal plasma generating unit is provided at a location where a processed air-fuel mixture by the non-thermal plasma reaches a spark plug after an in-cylinder flow or where the air-fuel mixture exists around an electrode of the spark plug in a time when the air-fuel mixture keeps an easy combustion state. The spark plug ignites the processed air-fuel mixture by discharge of the spark plug at timing when the processed air-fuel mixture by the non-thermal plasma of an easy combustion state reaches the spark plug after an in-cylinder flow or timing when the air-fuel mixture of the easy combustion state exists around an electrode of the spark plug in the time when the air-fuel mixture keeps the easy combustion state.

Abstract: A surface plasma actuator includes a conducting wire attached to a surface of a target object and electrically insulated from the target object. Surface plasma is generated along a neighborhood of the conducting wire by applying a pulse voltage between the conducting wire and a conductive portion on a side of the target object. An induced gas flow is generated by the surface plasma.

Abstract: A surface plasma actuator includes a conducting wire attached to a surface of a target object and electrically insulated from the target object. Surface plasma is generated along a neighborhood of the conducting wire by applying a pulse voltage between the conducting wire and a conductive portion on a side of the target object. An induced gas flow is generated by the surface plasma.

Abstract: A fluid machine includes a rotary blade, a casing configured to house the rotary blade therein, and an insulation coated conductor attached within a recess circumferentially provided in an inner circumference of the casing opposed to an outer end of the rotary blade, the insulation coated conductor including a conductive wire and an insulation material coating. The dielectric barrier discharge is generated between the insulation coated conductor and the outer end of the rotary blade by applying a pulse voltage between the conductive wire and the rotary blade, so as to prevent leakage of operative fluid through a tip clearance between the inner circumference of the casing and the outer end of the rotary blade.

Abstract: A surface plasma actuator includes a conducting wire attached to a surface of a target object and electrically insulated from the target object. Surface plasma is generated along a neighborhood of the conducting wire by applying a pulse voltage between the conducting wire and a conductive portion on a side of the target object. An induced gas flow is generated by the surface plasma.

Abstract: A measurement method capable of accurately evaluating the trapped amount of particulate matter (PM) accumulated in a diesel particulate filter (DPF) is provided. The method for measuring the amount of accumulated particulate matter comprises propagating ultrasonic waves generated by a transmitter 3 provided directly to the DPF or outside a container and insulation material 6 having a property that propagates ultrasonic waves, measuring the amount of PM accumulated in the DPF 2 using a receiver 4, the DPF being composed of porous ceramic and disposed at an intermediate point in the exhaust pipe 1 of a diesel engine, and determining the amount of accumulated PM on the basis of the results.

Abstract: This invention relates to androgen-regulated nucleic acids, a polynucleotide array containing these androgen-regulated nucleic acids, and methods of using the polynucleotide array in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer.

Abstract: This invention relates to androgen-regulated nucleic acids, a polynucleotide array containing these androgen-regulated nucleic acids, and methods of using the polynucleotide array in the diagnosis and prognosis of prostate cancer.