Abstract: The image forming apparatus is an image forming apparatus including an image bearing member, a developing device, a transfer device, and a cleaning device. The developing device includes a toner bearing member having a surface subjected to alumite treatment. Toner that is used in the image forming apparatus is magnetic mono-component developer including magnetic toner particles containing at least binder resin and iron-containing magnetic powder, and an external additive to be externally added to the magnetic toner particles. The external additive is formed from inorganic fine particles which have been subjected to surface treatment with a tin-containing compound and an antimony-containing compound. In the image forming apparatus, the ratio of antimony to iron of the toner that has been removed by the cleaning device is double or more the ratio of antimony to iron of the toner before being conveyed by the toner bearing member.

Abstract: An image display apparatus is caused to display a life point meter for showing a total remaining life point within a life point display region on an image display screen. When an action or event occurs to any player character so that the remaining life point thereof changes, an amount of change of a life point thereof is calculated in response to the action or the event. It is determined that the battle possible state of all player characters can be maintained except that the amount of decrease of the life point is the total remaining life point or more. In the case where the remaining life point of the corresponding player character is updated on the basis of the calculated amount of change of the life point, the image display apparatus is caused to change a display form of the life point meter assigned to the corresponding player character.

Abstract: Backlight unit (10), illumination device (400) and display device (1) capable of local dimming control while achieving high contrast are provided. Backlight unit (10) includes light guide plate (100), which includes layered plate-like optical members (110, 120), and light sources (12). A main surface (111, 121) of each optical member (110, 120) is partitioned into areas including one or more emergence areas and non-emergence areas. When light is incident on each optical member (110, 120) through a side surface thereof, light emerges from emergence areas but does not emerge from non-emergence areas. The optical members (110, 120) are layered such that each non-emergence area of one optical member (110) overlaps a different one of emergence areas of another (120). Light sources (12) are arranged to face the side surface of each optical member (110, 120) and are capable of local dimming control by being lit with light emitted therefrom adjusted.

Abstract: A hot-cathode fluorescent lamp includes a pair of filament coils (4) at the respective ends of a glass bulb. Each filament coil (4) has a coiled portion (4a) coated with an electron emissive material, a first lead portion (4b) extending from one end of the coiled portion (4a), and a second lead portion (4c) extending from another end of the coiled portion (4a). The first lead portion (4b) and the second lead portion (4c) are connected to lead-in wires inserted into the glass bulb via connecting members (5a, 5b). At least one insulating member (11a or 11b) is provided between closest edges of the connecting members (5a, 5b) to each other. The provision of the insulating member prevents a short circuit occurring between the closest edges of the plate-shaped connecting members during lighting. Occurrence of such a short circuit would cause lighting to start without the coil portion being sufficiently pre-heated, which results in excessive sputtering of the electron emissive material to shorten the lamp life.

Abstract: A hot-cathode fluorescent lamp includes a pair of filament coils (4) at the respective ends of a glass bulb. Each filament coil (4) has a coiled portion (4a) coated with an electron emissive material. Each coiled portion is covered by a heat-resistant sleeves (7). At least a region of the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve is electrically insulating. The insulating region prevents a short circuit between the coiled portion of the filament coil and the inner circumferential surface of the sleeve that would otherwise occur upon lighting. Occurrence of such a short circuit would cause lighting to start without the coil portion being sufficiently pre-heated, which results in excessive sputtering of the electron emissive material to shorten the lamp life.

Abstract: An image display apparatus is caused to respectively display operation guidance constituted from operation instruction icons and end display icons each presenting a specific image and card type icons having display images indicating specific images in first and second specific regions of an image display screen under a predetermined condition. In the case where the operation instruction icons are selected and one end display icon is thereby reached when the card type icon corresponding to the specific image presented by the one end display icon is displayed in the second specific region, the display image of the card type icon is displayed so as to become an exposed state at least temporarily. A privilege relating to a special effect is applied to the player character in the case where all of the display images of the card type icons keep the exposed states for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A heteropentamer composed of a fusion monomer (32) comprising a fusion protein of an antigenic amino acid sequence and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein and a nonfusion monomer (20) of an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. A homopentamer composed of a fusion monomer including a fusion protein of an antigen derived from an envelope protein of Japanese encephalitis virus and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. These heteropentamer and the homopentamer can be used as a vaccine.

Abstract: A method of inducing partial or complete immunity to an infectious disease in a mammal comprising providing to the mammal for oral consumption an effective amount of a protein complex comprising five monomeric fusion proteins.

Abstract: In a video game that progresses a game using a limited number of items, the game can be made more interesting. In an area data table 126-1 of a first area, a brand ‘CAT’ having a previous brand point ‘14%’ is ‘BEST 1’, and a brand ‘BOAR’ having a previous brand point ‘13%’ is ‘BEST 2’. In addition, a brand ‘TIGER’ having a previous brand point ‘3%’ is ‘WORST 2’, and a brand ‘RAT’ having a previous brand point ‘2%’ is ‘WORST 1’. Accordingly, if a player character executes a battle against an enemy character in the first area, when an item of the brand ‘CAT’, which is ‘BEST 1’, is used, its power becomes three times higher than a reference power, and when an item of the brand ‘BOAR’, which is ‘BEST 2’, is used, its power becomes one and half times higher than the reference power. In addition, when an item of the brand ‘TIGER’, which is ‘WORST 2’, is used, its power becomes 0.5 times lower than the reference power, and an item of the brand ‘RAT’, which is ‘WORST 1’, becomes unavailable.

Abstract: A method of inducing partial or complete immunity to an infectious disease in a mammal comprising providing to the mammal for oral consumption an effective amount of a protein complex comprising five monomeric fusion proteins.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a toner for electrostatic development containing core-shell type toner particles, which can decrease the amount of a toner fused onto a developing roller and a regulating blade of a developing device in a development process. An aspect of the present invention pertains to a toner comprising core-shell type toner particles and an external additive, wherein the core-shell type toner particle has a core particle and a shell layer coating the core particle, the core particle contains a binder resin, a releasant and a coloring material, the shell layer has at least one small depressed portion on the surface there of, and the external additive is dominantly distributed in the one or more small depressed portion(s).

Abstract: To increase a variety in playing a game, while achieving an effective utilization of a communication function, by actively using, in a video game, various kinds of information communicated between game apparatus when exchanging information relating to the game by means of wireless communication.

Abstract: Game information delivered from other video game processing apparatus different from a player's own video game processing apparatus is received via radio communication. Conditional read data and unconditional read data are stored in an information storage as the game information received by the information receiver. The conditional read data cannot be read when a specific condition is met, while the unconditional read data can be read unconditionally. It is determined whether or not the specific condition is met during progress of the video game. When the game information indicates the unconditional read data, the unconditional read data are set to readable in the case where the unconditional read data are stored in the information storage. On the other hand, when the game information indicates the conditional read data, the conditional read data are set to readable in the case where it is determined that the specific condition is met.

Abstract: An image display apparatus is caused to display a life point meter for showing a total remaining life point within a life point display region on an image display screen. When an action or event occurs to any player character so that the remaining life point thereof changes, an amount of change of a life point thereof is calculated in response to the action or the event. It is determined that the battle possible state of all player characters can be maintained except that the amount of decrease of the life point is the total remaining life point or more. In the case where the remaining life point of the corresponding player character is updated on the basis of the calculated amount of change of the life point, the image display apparatus is caused to change a display form of the life point meter assigned to the corresponding player character.

Abstract: An image display apparatus is caused to respectively display operation guidance constituted from operation instruction icons and end display icons each presenting a specific image and card type icons having display images indicating specific images in first and second specific regions of an image display screen under a predetermined condition. In the case where the operation instruction icons are selected and one end display icon is thereby reached when the card type icon corresponding to the specific image presented by the one end display icon is displayed in the second specific region, the display image of the card type icon is displayed so as to become an exposed state at least temporarily. A privilege relating to a special effect is applied to the player character in the case where all of the display images of the card type icons keep the exposed states for a predetermined period of time.

Abstract: A player character's current ability value, which changes in accordance with a game progress, is displayed in such a way that a player is able to grasp the value instinctively and instantaneously without feeling visual impediment. A player character (PC) table and an enemy character (EC) table are updated. A hit point ratio (HPP), which is a ratio of hit points (HP) to a maximum hit point value (HPMAX), is calculated by using HP in the updated PC table. A drawing hit point angle (HPA) is calculated by HPA=HPP×360°. Furthermore, the drawing angle HPA portion of a ring gauge is displayed in a predetermined color. Consequently, a length and angle of a belt portion of each ring gauge changes in accordance with the change of the HP as the game advances. As the length of the belt portion only changes inside the ring gauge, even in the case where it becomes long, no visual effect is brought about on a game area of a display screen.

Abstract: An electrodeless self-ballasted fluorescent lamp includes: a luminous bulb 1 having a cavity portion 15; an induction coil 3 inserted in the cavity portion 15; a ballast 4 electrically connected to the induction coil 3; and a base 7, wherein the luminous bulb 1, the ballast 4 and the base 7 are configured as one unit. The luminous bulb 1 includes an approximately spherical outer tube 12 and an inner tube 11. At least the surface of the upper hemisphere of the outer tube 12 is coated with a silicone rubber 10 having the property of transmitting light.

Abstract: The present invention provides an image forming apparatus which effectively prevents back flow of unused toner and contamination of the inside of an image forming apparatus due to the back flow while allowing for improvement in transfer efficiency and image quality and size reduction of the image forming apparatus. The image forming apparatus includes: a developing device including a developing roller, a supply roller, a casing housing the developing roller and the supply-roller, and a lower seal disposed along a lower edge of an opening of the casing; and a photosensitive drum disposed in opposed relation to the developing roller. The lower seal is inclined downward from the inside of the casing toward an open side in a developing process. A nonmagnetic toner to be herein used includes toner particles having a sphericity not less than 0.98 and an additive adhering to surfaces of the toner particles, and has a loose bulk density AD not less than 0.3g/cm3 and a compaction degree not less than 0.

Abstract: A method of inducing partial or complete immunity to an infectious disease in a mammal comprising providing to the mammal for oral consumption an effective amount of a protein complex comprising five monomeric fusion proteins.

Abstract: A heteropentamer composed of a fusion monomer (32) comprising a fusion protein of an antigenic amino acid sequence and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein and a nonfusion monomer (20) of an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. A homopentamer composed of a fusion monomer including a fusion protein of an antigen derived from an envelope protein of Japanese encephalitis virus and an amino acid sequence of a monomer of a mucous membrane-binding protein. These heteropentamer and the homopentamer can be used as a vaccine.