Abstract: Provided is a management server that is used in constructing a high-quality test environment. The management server is an operating server that is connected via a network to an image forming apparatus registered as a management target, and that remotely manages the image forming apparatus. The management server includes a data-collection unit, a connection-receiving unit, and a data-relay unit. The data-collection unit receives collection-target data from the image forming apparatus and accumulates that data in a database. The connection-receiving unit receives a connection with a test sever having the same functions as self server. The data-relay unit also transmits the collection-target data received by the data-collection unit to the test server, the connection of which is received by the connection-receiving unit. Therefore, the collection-target data is accumulated in the test server in the same way as in the management server, and can be used as test data.

Abstract: Provided is a management server that is used in constructing a high-quality test environment. The management server is an operating server that is connected via a network to an image forming apparatus registered as a management target, and that remotely manages the image forming apparatus. The management server includes a data-collection unit, a connection-receiving unit, and a data-relay unit. The data-collection unit receives collection-target data from the image forming apparatus and accumulates that data in a database. The connection-receiving unit receives a connection with a test sever having the same functions as self server. The data-relay unit also transmits the collection-target data received by the data-collection unit to the test server, the connection of which is received by the connection-receiving unit. Therefore, the collection-target data is accumulated in the test server in the same way as in the management server, and can be used as test data.

Abstract: Provided is a management system that, recovers the image forming apparatus to being online by remote control from the management server. The image forming apparatus management system includes a message-receiving apparatus for receiving control instructions from the management server via a communication path (mobile telephone network) that is separate from a network. The management server detects an image forming apparatus of which the connection with a server-communication unit becomes offline as an offline apparatus. Then, the management server transmits a control instruction to the message-receiving apparatus via the communication path for causing the offline apparatus to recover the connection with the server-communication unit to online.

Abstract: A license management server manages a license to perform a service of remote maintenance related to one or more image forming apparatuses installed in a customer's site. The maintenance server includes a maintenance unit and a history management unit. If the license management server notified of expiration of an expiration date of the license defined by a contract, the maintenance unit stores history information acquired from the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the expired license into a storage unit, and stops the service. If the license management server notified of grant of the license by a re-contract, the history management unit obtains the history information about the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the granted license from the storage unit, and passes the obtained history information to the maintenance unit. By using the passed history information, the maintenance unit resumes the service.

Abstract: A license management system includes an image forming apparatus and a license management server. The license management server includes a group management database, a license management database, a time zone information table, a group management unit, and a license management unit. The group management database stores information indicating an organization to which the license is assigned. The information relates to a group to which the image forming apparatus belongs. The license management database stores information on the license for the group. The time zone information table describes information on a working hour in a time zone where the group is present. When the one working hour ends, the license management unit that re-assigns the license from the group in the ended working hour to the group in another working hour based on the time zone information table, the license management database, and a current time.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium includes at least one recording layer. The recording layer includes a recording material comprising a polymer compound to which a one-photon absorption dye is bonded, and a coupling strength ?2 between the one-photon absorption dye and the polymer compound in the recording material is higher than a coupling strength estimated to be exerted between the same one-photon absorption dye and the same polymer compound if the one-photon absorption dye is dispersed in the polymer compound in the recording material.

Abstract: A device management system for managing a plurality of image forming apparatuses includes a management state determination section and a management state notification section. The management state determination section determines whether or not each of the image forming apparatuses is appropriately managed based on information from an application for managing the image forming apparatuses. The management state notification section sends to a specified address an inappropriate management notification indicating that a given one of the image forming apparatuses is not appropriately managed. The management state notification section sends out the inappropriate management notification when the management state determination section determines that a given one of the image forming apparatuses is not appropriately managed (S135, S140, and S144).

Abstract: In a license management server, a license management DB stores information about a license for performing remote maintenance on an image forming apparatus installed in an end customer site. A group management DB stores information about a group to which the image forming apparatus belongs. A table defines and describes the number of image forming apparatuses belonging to the group and a content of the license to be granted to the group so that the content of the license becomes advantageous to a user as the number of image forming apparatuses increases. The user registers the image forming apparatuses into the group. A group management unit counts the number of image forming apparatuses belonging to the group. A license management unit adjusts the content of the license on the basis of the number of image forming apparatuses counted.

Abstract: A license management server manages a license to perform a service of remote maintenance related to one or more image forming apparatuses installed in a customer's site. The maintenance server includes a maintenance unit and a history management unit. If the license management server notified of expiration of an expiration date of the license defined by a contract, the maintenance unit stores history information acquired from the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the expired license into a storage unit, and stops the service. If the license management server notified of grant of the license by a re-contract, the history management unit obtains the history information about the one or more image forming apparatuses corresponding to the granted license from the storage unit, and passes the obtained history information to the maintenance unit. By using the passed history information, the maintenance unit resumes the service.

Abstract: An optical information recording medium includes at least one recording layer. The recording layer includes a recording material comprising a polymer compound to which a one-photon absorption dye is bonded, and a coupling strength ?2 between the one-photon absorption dye and the polymer compound in the recording material is higher than a coupling strength estimated to be exerted between the same one-photon absorption dye and the same polymer compound if the one-photon absorption dye is dispersed in the polymer compound in the recording material.

Abstract: A coating apparatus for forming a thin UV curable resin coating on threaded end portions of a steel pipe comprises a spraying unit having at least two nozzles adapted to spray the resin coating composition by pneumatic atomization toward the threaded end portion of the steel pipe, a resin supply system for supplying the resin coating composition to each nozzle, and a first nozzle support means which supports each nozzle for movement in the axial direction of the steel pipe and in the vertical direction. The two nozzles are disposed at different positions at least in the axial direction of the steel pipe at angles which are sloped such that the sprayed streams from the nozzles approach each other. The resin supply system has a regulator for maintaining the spraying air pressure of the resin coating composition in each nozzle of the spraying unit at a predetermined respective value.

Abstract: To provide a novel triazine-based compound exhibiting an ultraviolet blocking effect even in the long-wavelength region and being useful as an ultraviolet absorber with excellent light resistance, and to provide an ultraviolet absorber and a resin composition, which can maintain a long-wavelength ultraviolet-blocking effect for a long period of time. A compound represented by the following formula (1): wherein each of R1a, R1b, R1c, R1d and R1e independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent excluding OH, provided that at least one substituent represents a substituent having a Hammett's ?p value of 0.3 or more and substituents may combine with each other to form a ring, and each of R1g, R1h, R1i, R1j, R1k, R1m, R1n and R1p independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent, provided that substituents may combine with each other to form a ring.

Abstract: A coating apparatus for forming a thin UV curable resin coating on threaded end portions of a steel pipe comprises a spraying unit having at least two nozzles adapted to spray the resin coating composition by pneumatic atomization toward the threaded end portion of the steel pipe, a resin supply system for supplying the resin coating composition to each nozzle, and a first nozzle support means which supports each nozzle for movement in the axial direction of the steel pipe and in the vertical direction. The two nozzles are disposed at different positions at least in the axial direction of the steel pipe at angles which are sloped such that the sprayed streams from the nozzles approach each other. The resin supply system has a regulator for maintaining the spraying air pressure of the resin coating composition in each nozzle of the spraying unit at a predetermined respective value.

Abstract: To provide a novel triazine-based compound exhibiting an ultraviolet blocking effect even in the long-wavelength region and being useful as an ultraviolet absorber with excellent light resistance, and to provide an ultraviolet absorber and a resin composition, which can maintain a long-wavelength ultraviolet-blocking effect for a long period of time. A compound represented by the following formula (1): wherein each of R1a, R1b, R1c, R1d and R1e independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent excluding OH, provided that at least one substituent represents a substituent having a Hammett's ?p value of 0.3 or more and substituents may combine with each other to form a ring, and each of R1g, R1h, R1i, R1j, R1k, R1m, R1n and R1p independently represents a hydrogen atom or a monovalent substituent, provided that substituents may combine with each other to form a ring.

Abstract: An apparatus which can thinly and uniformly apply a highly viscous lubricant on the threaded portion of a threaded joint for pipes comprises a steel pipe support unit which supports a steel pipe P having a pin while rotating the pipe, a lubricant circulation system in which a lubricant having its viscosity adjusted so as to be sprayable is circulated, a metering unit having a metering pump capable of metering the lubricant, a lubricant spraying unit having spray guns for spraying lubricant through nozzles toward the pin, a spray gun support unit which supports the spray guns so as to be movable in the axial and/or radial directions of the steel pipe P; and a controlling unit which controls the rotational speed of the steel pipe P by the steel pipe support unit and the speeds of movement of the spray guns by the spray gun support unit.

Abstract: An object of the present invention are to provide a protease that is stable in a wide pH range from acidic to alkaline, and that has excellent thrombolytic activity; a protease-producing microorganism that produces the above protease; and a process for producing the protease. By culturing a novel filamentous fungus belonging to the genus Fusarium (Fusarium sp. strain BLB), a protease that is stable in a wide pH range from acidic to alkaline and that has excellent thrombolytic activity, is formed and accumulated in the culture medium, and recovered.