Abstract: An ink contains at least one kind of polyether-modified siloxane compound and at least one kind of aliphatic alcohol alkylene oxide compound.

Abstract: A sample-processing system that improves total system processing efficiency, and reduces a sample-processing time, by establishing a functionally independent relationship between a rack conveyance block with rack supply, conveyance, and recovery functions, and a processing block with sample preprocessing, analysis, and other functions. A buffer unit with random accessibility to multiple racks standing by for processing is combined with each of multiple processing units to form a pair, and the system is constructed to load and unload racks into and from the buffer unit through the rack conveyance block so that one unprocessed rack is loaded into the buffer unit and then upon completion of process steps up to automatic retesting, unloaded from the buffer unit. Functional dependence between any processing unit and a conveyance unit is thus eliminated.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a gradation converting circuit, a printer engine, an image inspecting circuit, and a color tone control circuit. The gradation converting circuit includes a threshold value generating section that generates threshold values, a first gradation correcting section that converts gradation values of image data, a second gradation correcting section that converts output values from the first gradation correcting section based on a gradation control parameter, and a gradation processing section that reduces tone levels of the second gradation correcting section by comparing output values from the second gradation correcting section and the threshold values.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reflection characteristic detector, and a gradation characteristic correction unit. The reflection characteristic detector is configured to detect reflective characteristics of respective output images on respective print media formed in a temporarily shifted manner among print media on which output images corresponding to input image data are formed. The gradation characteristic correction unit is configured to correct gradation characteristics of the input image data such that the reflection characteristics of the respective output images on the respective print media detected by the reflection characteristic detector match.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a gradation converting circuit, a printer engine, an image inspecting circuit, and a color tone control circuit. The gradation converting circuit includes a threshold value generating section that generates threshold values, a first gradation correcting section that converts gradation values of image data, a second gradation correcting section that converts output values from the first gradation correcting section based on a gradation control parameter, and a gradation processing section that reduces tone levels of the second gradation correcting section by comparing output values from the second gradation correcting section and the threshold values.

Abstract: A toner is provided that contains a crystalline polyester resin comprising a polycondensed resin of a dicarboxylic acid represented by the following formula (1) with a diol represented by the following formula (2). A content of a cyclic ester represented by the following formula (3) in the toner, measured by a thermal extraction gas chromatographic mass spectrometry at a thermal extraction temperature of 160° C., is from 1 to 200 ppm in terms of toluene: where n represents an integer of from 2 to 12; where m represents an integer of from 2 to 12; and where n represents an integer of from 2 to 12, m represents an integer of from 2 to 12, and m+n?6 is satisfied.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a detector, an acceptance unit, and a manager. The detector detects a user. The acceptance unit accepts an operation performed by the user for selecting a process. The manager manages plural resources of the processing apparatus so as to reserve, upon detection of the user by the detector, the plural resources and to release, upon acceptance of the operation by the acceptance unit, a resource among the plural resources that is not necessary for the process selected in the operation.

Abstract: An ink contains at least one kind of polyether-modified siloxane compound and at least one kind of aliphatic alcohol alkylene oxide compound.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus includes a reflection characteristic detector, and a gradation characteristic correction unit. The reflection characteristic detector is configured to detect reflective characteristics of respective output images on respective print media formed in a temporarily shifted manner among print media on which output images corresponding to input image data are formed. The gradation characteristic correction unit is configured to correct gradation characteristics of the input image data such that the reflection characteristics of the respective output images on the respective print media detected by the reflection characteristic detector match.

Abstract: A toner is provided that contains a crystalline polyester resin comprising a polycondensed resin of a dicarboxylic acid represented by the following formula (1) with a diol represented by the following formula (2). A content of a cyclic ester represented by the following formula (3) in the toner, measured by a thermal extraction gas chromatographic mass spectrometry at a thermal extraction temperature of 160° C., is from 1 to 200 ppm in terms of toluene: where n represents an integer of from 2 to 12; where m represents an integer of from 2 to 12; and where n represents an integer of from 2 to 12, m represents an integer of from 2 to 12, and m+n?6 is satisfied.

Abstract: An ester wax is provided. The ester wax includes a long-chain aliphatic ester represented by the following formula: R—COO—R? wherein R represents an alky group having 13 to 23 carbon atoms and R? represents an alkyl group having 18 to 22 carbon atoms. The ester wax further includes an aliphatic alcohol having 18 to 22 carbon atoms in an amount less than 3% by mass based on a total mass of the ester wax.

Abstract: A sample-processing system that improves total system processing efficiency, and reduces a sample-processing time, by establishing a functionally independent relationship between a rack conveyance block with rack supply, conveyance, and recovery functions, and a processing block with sample preprocessing, analysis, and other functions. A buffer unit with random accessibility to multiple racks standing by for processing is combined with each of multiple processing units to form a pair, and the system is constructed to load and unload racks into and from the buffer unit through the rack conveyance block so that one unprocessed rack is loaded into the buffer unit and then upon completion of process steps up to automatic retesting, unloaded from the buffer unit. Functional dependence between any processing unit and a conveyance unit is thus eliminated.

Abstract: A sample-processing system that improves total system processing efficiency, and reduces a sample-processing time, by establishing a functionally independent relationship between a rack conveyance block with rack supply, conveyance, and recovery functions, and a processing block with sample preprocessing, analysis, and other functions. A buffer unit with random accessibility to multiple racks standing by for processing is combined with each of multiple processing units to form a pair, and the system is constructed to load and unload racks into and from the buffer unit through the rack conveyance block so that one unprocessed rack is loaded into the buffer unit and then upon completion of process steps up to automatic retesting, unloaded from the buffer unit. Functional dependence between any processing unit and a conveyance unit is thus eliminated.

Abstract: A processing apparatus includes a detector, an acceptance unit, and a manager. The detector detects a user. The acceptance unit accepts an operation performed by the user for selecting a process. The manager manages plural resources of the processing apparatus so as to reserve, upon detection of the user by the detector, the plural resources and to release, upon acceptance of the operation by the acceptance unit, a resource among the plural resources that is not necessary for the process selected in the operation.

Abstract: A heater lamp for fixation and a method of producing the heater lamp are provided. The heater lamp includes a heat generator and a protective casing to cover the heat generator, in which an amount of carbon in an external surface of the protective casing as detected by an X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic method is equal to or less than 12 atomic %. The method of producing a heater lamp for fixation includes preparing a heat generator; preparing a protective casing to cover the heat generator; and heating the heat generator in an atmosphere containing oxygen gas.

Abstract: An ester wax is provided. The ester wax includes a long-chain aliphatic ester represented by the following formula: R—COO—R? wherein R represents an alky group having 13 to 23 carbon atoms and R? represents an alkyl group having 18 to 22 carbon atoms. The ester wax further includes an aliphatic alcohol having 18 to 22 carbon atoms in an amount less than 3% by mass based on a total mass of the ester wax.

Abstract: An image processing apparatus, an image processing method, and an image processing program stored in a recording medium are provided. The image processing apparatus includes a processing circuitry, and the processing circuitry and the image processing method obtain a color image output from an image forming unit, predict an output color of the image forming unit to generate a predicted color specification value independent from the image forming unit, extract from the input image data a colorimetry area for color difference determination, obtain a colorimetric value of an area of the color image that corresponds to the extracted colorimetry area, using a colorimeter, and add a colorimetric error at the colorimeter due to a color arrangement on the input image data to the predicted color specification value, to obtain a corrected colorimetric value of the area of the color image.

Abstract: An inhibitor for tobacco axillary bud growth, containing chlorthal-dimethyl and aliphatic alcohol selected from decyl alcohol, 2-ethyl hexanol and geraniol in combination; and a method for inhibiting tobacco axillary bud growth, which includes applying the inhibitor for tobacco axillary bud growth.

Abstract: A color management system is provided that includes a color transformation unit that uses a profile connection space to perform a color transformation process on input image data based on an input side color transformation parameter associated with the input image data for translating an input device-dependent color value that describes the input image data into a device-independent color value of the profile connection space and an output side color transformation parameter for matching the device-independent color value to an output device-dependent color value. The color management system further includes an output device selection unit that enables a user to select at least two output devices from plural output devices that are available for selection, and a profile connection space generation unit that automatically generates the profile connection space according to a predetermined profile connection space generation method based on the gamuts of the output devices selected by the user.

Abstract: An image forming system includes an image output device, a measurement sensor, a tone correction value generation unit, and a tone correction unit. The image output device outputs an image on a recording medium with a mixture of a plurality of basic colors based on an image data array combining the basic colors. The measurement sensor measures a reflection characteristic of at least a part of the image output by the image output device. The tone correction value generation unit generates, for each of the basic colors, a tone correction value for correcting a tone characteristic of the basic color by synthesizing a correction array forming a regular matrix based on the reflection characteristic measured by the measurement sensor and the image data array. The tone correction unit corrects an image output by the image output device with the tone correction value.