Abstract: In an image forming apparatus using an intermediate transfer tandem method, image forming unit is divided into two parts and toner images superimposed on an intermediate transfer belt included in one of the image forming unit is once secondary transferred onto toner images superimposed on an intermediate transfer belt included in the other image forming unit. Then the secondary transferred images are collectively transferred (tertiary transferred) onto a recording material at once.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that is capable of reducing a jam and correcting misalignment of a sheet due to a buckling of the sheet certainly. A skew correction unit conveys a sheet while contacting one of side edges of the sheet with a reference member that is arranged in parallel to a conveyance direction in order to correct a skew of the sheet conveyed along a conveyance path. A misalignment correction unit moves the sheet that the skew has been corrected in a width direction perpendicular to the conveyance direction. A sheet position detection unit detects a position of the other of the side edges of the sheet that the skew has been corrected. A moving amount determination unit determines a moving amount by which the misalignment correction unit moves the sheet in the width direction.

Abstract: A door opening or closing detecting device and an image forming apparatus including a shaft member which is provided to a housing slidably along one end of a door, and urged to be brought into pressure contact with a pressing member through a pressure contact member, the shaft member being slid by the pressing member which moves with the opening/closing of the door. The opening/closing of the door is detected by a detecting portion according to sliding of the shaft member, and a power supply is interrupted by a switch portion. The door opening or closing detecting apparatus and the image forming apparatus are capable of reliably detecting the opening/closing of the door and appropriately interrupting the power supply while achieving space saving and reduction in size of the apparatus.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus is configured so that a first detection position and a second detection position are set along the direction of conveying a transfer material between adjacent conveyance rollers. The image forming apparatus has four sensors, two of which are disposed in the first detection position at a predetermined interval, and the remaining two of which are disposed in a second detection position at a predetermined interval. An actual length of the transfer material can be detected with high accuracy by performing (1) cancellation of an error in detection caused by variation in a speed at which the transfer material is conveyed, (2) cancellation of an error in detection caused by a skew, and (3) cancellation of an error in detection caused by oblique passing.

Abstract: In a sheet conveying apparatus a first shape information that expresses at least a part of the outer shape of a sheet. An obtaining unit obtains second shape information that expresses at least the part of the outer shape of the sheet. A correction amount computing unit computes a correction amount of the sheet for correcting an image to be formed on the sheet and/or correcting the position and/or orientation of the sheet based on the first shape information and the second shape information. A correction amount computing unit computes a correction amount for correcting the position and/or orientation of the sheet relative to the conveying direction from the computed skew amount. A position and/or orientation correction unit corrects an image to be formed on the sheet and/or the position and/or orientation of the sheet, according to the computed correction amount.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide an activated protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in large quantities with high purity by a genetic engineering and to provide a method for producing a heterodimer derivative of PP2A which comprises infecting insect cultured cells with a baculovirus in which a cDNA encoding the catalytic subunit of PP2A carrying a first tag is integrated together with another baculovirus in which a cDNA encoding the A subunit of PP2A carrying a second tag is integrated, incubating the infected cells, disrupting the incubated cells to obtain a disrupted cell suspension, and then purifying the disrupted cell suspension with a solid phase carrying a substance capable of binding to the first tag and another solid phase carrying a substance capable of binding to the second tag, characterized in that the insect cells infected with the baculovirus are incubated at a temperature of from 18 to 22° C.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; stretching means for stretching the belt member; steering means for stretching and steering the belt member, wherein the steering means includes a rotatable portion rotatable with rotation of the belt member, a frictional portion, provided at each of opposite axial end of the rotation portion, for slidable contact with the belt member, supporting means for supporting the rotatable portion and the frictional portion, a rotation shaft rotatably supporting the supporting means, and the steering means is capable of steering the belt member by rotation thereof by forces resulting from sliding between the belt member and the frictional portion, wherein each of the frictional portions is provided with an inclined surface which is inclined to be further from a rotational axis of the rotation portion axially toward an outside, and wherein the belt member is contacted to at least one of the inclined portions.

Abstract: A belt feeding apparatus includes a rotatable belt member; first and second stretching members for stretching the belt member; and steering means for steering the belt member, the steering means supports the belt member at a position adjacent to the first stretching member and to the second stretching member with respect to a rotational direction of the belt member, wherein the steering means includes rotatable portion rotatable with rotation of the belt member, a frictional portion, provided at each of opposite axial end of the rotation portion, for slidable contact with the belt member, supporting means for supporting the rotatable portion and the frictional portion, and a rotation shaft rotatably supporting the supporting means, wherein the steering means moves the belt member in the rotational axis direction by the supporting means rotating by a force produced by sliding between the belt member and the frictional portion; wherein the frictional portion is disposed substantially at a position where a plane

Abstract: The present invention provides a fucoidan-derived low molecular weight compound with a good quality of taste, which has a specified structure and function and is free from problems in absorption, antigenicity, uniformity, an anticoagulant activity and so on, which problems arise when developing fucoidan, a sulfated polysaccharide having an extremely large molecular weight, as drugs or health foods. As a result of analyzing low molecular weight compounds obtained by acid hydrolysis of fucoidan, the inventors have identified fucoidan oligosaccharides (I) to (XI). Further, these oligosaccharides have been found to have anti-obesity and/or blood glucose elevation suppressing effects through inhibition of carbohydrate and/or lipid absorption as a result of ?-glucosidase inhibition and/or lipase inhibition.

Abstract: A skew roller is disposed near an abutment reference member. A pre-skew roller is disposed on the upstream side of the skew roller at a position corresponding to a conveyance center line. When a sheet conveyed by a pre-registration conveyance roller reaches the skew roller, the pre-registration conveyance roller moves upward to release a nipping force applied on the sheet. At the same time, the pre-skew roller moves downward to start aligning the sheet.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to find, from nature, a compound which does not have a side effect such as a hormone action or gastrointestinal disturbance as steroidal or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents and has an anti-inflammatory action being as good as that of those anti-inflammatory agents and is to provide an anti-inflammatory agent where an extract prepared by extraction of leaves of Yabutsubaki (Camellia japonica L.), Tsubaki (Camellia japonica L. cv.) or Sasanqua (Camellia sasanqua T.) with water, a hydrophilic solvent or a mixture thereof is an active ingredient.

Abstract: A skew roller is disposed near an abutment reference member. A pre-skew roller is disposed on the upstream side of the skew roller at a position corresponding to a conveyance center line. When a sheet conveyed by a pre-registration conveyance roller reaches the skew roller, the pre-registration conveyance roller moves upward to release a nipping force applied on the sheet. At the same time, the pre-skew roller moves downward to start aligning the sheet.

Abstract: A drive transmission device includes a drive source, a drive shaft receiving a drive force from the drive source, a driven shaft connected to the drive shaft so as to transmit the drive force, a conductive housing having an electro-rheological fluid sealed therein, an applying unit configured to apply an electric field to the electro-rheological fluid, and a selecting unit configured to select between a first mode and a second mode, the first mode permitting the applying unit to apply the electric field to the electro-rheological fluid with the drive shaft and the driven shaft functioning as electrodes, the second mode permitting the applying unit to apply the electric field to the electro-rheological fluid with the driven shaft and the housing functioning as electrodes.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to find in nature a compound having a degranulation inhibitory action comparable to that of steroidal or non-steroidal degranulation inhibitors, but without any side effect such as hormone action or gastrointestinal disturbances which are observed in these inhibitors, and there is provided a degranulation inhibitor comprising as an active ingredient an ellagic acid derivative of the formula (I): [wherein R1 represents a hydroxy group or methoxy group, and R2 represents a methoxy group, or R1 and R2 are taken together to form a methylenedioxy group, R3 represents a hydroxy group or methoxy group, and R4 represents a glucosyloxy group or hydroxy group] or a salt thereof.

Abstract: The purpose of the invention is to provide an activated protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) in large quantities with high purity by a genetic engineering and to provide a method for producing a heterodimer derivative of PP2A which comprises infecting insect cultured cells with a baculovirus in which a cDNA encoding the catalytic subunit of PP2A carrying a first tag is integrated together with another baculovirus in which a cDNA encoding the A subunit of PP2A carrying a second tag is integrated, incubating the infected cells, disrupting the incubated cells to obtain a disrupted cell suspension, and then purifying the disrupted cell suspension with a solid phase carrying a substance capable of binding to the first tag and another solid phase carrying a substance capable of binding to the second tag, characterized in that the insect cells infected with the baculovirus are incubated at a temperature of from 18 to 22° C.

Abstract: A skew roller is disposed near an abutment reference member. A pre-skew roller is disposed on the upstream side of the skew roller at a position corresponding to a conveyance center line. When a sheet conveyed by a pre-registration conveyance roller reaches the skew roller, the pre-registration conveyance roller moves upward to release a nipping force applied on the sheet. At the same time, the pre-skew roller moves downward to start aligning the sheet.

Abstract: A first detecting unit S1 for detecting a conveyed sheet at a first detecting position and a second detecting unit S2 for detecting the sheet at a second detecting position are provided. A calculation unit calculates a distance between the first and second detecting positions based on detection signals from the first detecting unit and the second detecting unit at the time when a reference sheet having a known length has been conveyed and a length of reference sheet.

Abstract: A sheet conveying apparatus in which a sheet conveying path is opened by opening a casing rotatably mounted to an apparatus main body, the sheet conveying apparatus including: a first sheet conveying path that is opened by opening the casing; a second sheet conveying path arranged deeper in the apparatus main body than the first sheet conveying path and joining the first sheet conveying path; a first guide member constituting one side of the first sheet conveying path at a joining portion where the first sheet conveying path and the second sheet conveying path join each other; a first guide support member arranged between the first sheet conveying path and the second sheet conveying path and rotatable while supporting the first guide member; a second guide member constituting one side of the second sheet conveying path at the joining portion; and a second guide support member arranged between the first sheet conveying path and the second sheet conveying path and rotatable while supporting the second guide mem

Abstract: A drive transmission device includes a drive source, a drive shaft receiving a drive force from the drive source, a driven shaft connected to the drive shaft so as to transmit the drive force, a conductive housing having an electro-rheological fluid sealed therein, an applying unit configured to apply an electric field to the electro-rheological fluid, and a selecting unit configured to select between a first mode and a second mode, the first mode permitting the applying unit to apply the electric field to the electro-rheological fluid with the drive shaft and the driven shaft functioning as electrodes, the second mode permitting the applying unit to apply the electric field to the electro-rheological fluid with the driven shaft and the housing functioning as electrodes.

Abstract: A door opening or closing detecting device and an image forming apparatus including a shaft member which is provided to a housing slidably along one end of a door, and urged to be brought into pressure contact with a pressing member through a pressure contact member, the shaft member being slid by the pressing member which moves with opening/closing of the door. The opening/closing of the door is detected by a detecting portion according to sliding of the shaft member, and a power supply is interrupted by a switch portion. The door opening or closing detecting apparatus and the image forming apparatus are capable of reliably detecting the opening/closing of the door and appropriately interrupting the power supply while achieving space saving and reduction in size of the apparatus.