Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes a hardware processor; a supplier that supplies a sheet; an image former; and a sensor that senses an operation of opening and/or closing a paper cassette containing the sheet. An image is formed in any mode between an automatic sensing mode in which the sheet type is discriminated by the hardware processor, and a type specifying mode in which the sheet type is accepted by the hardware processor. In a case in which it is judged that the mode is switched, the hardware processor automatically switches the mode when the image former forms the image. In a case in which the type specifying mode is set, the hardware processor judges, based on sensing of at least one of the operation of opening and/or the operation of closing by the sensor, whether to switch the mode to the automatic sensing mode.

Abstract: Provided is a viral or bacterial inactivation agent composition. The viral or bacterial inactivation agent composition contains (A) a quaternary ammonium salt-type surfactant, (B) an aliphatic alcohol with 8 or more and 24 or less carbons having a branched alkyl group or a linear alkenyl group, and water. Also provided is a method for inactivating a virus or a bacterium using the viral or bacterial inactivation agent composition that has high inactivation effects on viruses and bacteria even under the condition of using a quaternary ammonium salt-type surfactant at a low concentration.

Abstract: Provided is a method for inactivating viruses or bacteria that has high inactivation effects on enveloped viruses, bacteria of the genus Moraxella and bacteria of the genus Micrococcus even under the condition of using a quaternary ammonium salt-type surfactant at a low concentration, A method for inactivating one or more viruses or bacteria selected from an enveloped virus, a bacterium of the genus Moraxella and a bacterium of the genus Micrococcus and present on a surface of interest, including, bringing a treatment liquid containing (A) a quaternary ammonium salt-type surfactant, (B) an aliphatic alcohol and water into contact with the surface of interest.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feeding conveyor that feeds and conveys a recording medium to a conveyance path; an image former that performs image formation on the recording medium; a medium sensor that is disposed on an upstream side of the recording medium from the image former on the conveyance path and measures one or more sheet physical properties regarding the recording medium conveyed; a first hardware processor that determines a type of the recording medium on a basis of the sheet physical properties measured by the medium sensor; a second hardware processor that determines conveyance performance for the recording medium; and a third hardware processor that determines whether or not to perform the image formation on a basis of the conveyance performance in a case where the type of the recording medium determined by the first hardware processor is a type out of product specifications.

Abstract: An image forming system conveys a recording medium to form an image. The image forming system includes: a driver to drive an operation mechanism to convey a recording medium or an operation mechanism to form an image on the recording medium; a detector that detects a driving state of the driver; a diagnostic section diagnosing an abnormality of the operation mechanism based on a load obtained by converting a detection result by the detector based on a predetermined conversion condition; and an updater that, when at least one of components of the driver is replaced, updates the conversion condition in accordance with the replaced component.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a sheet feeder that feeds a sheet; a controller that: discriminates a sheet type of the sheet, and receives a user input to specify a sheet type; and an image forming device that has two setting modes including an automatic discrimination mode in which an image is formed based on the discriminated sheet type and a user specified mode in which an image is formed based on the sheet type specified by the user input. The controller automatically switches one of the two setting modes to the other based on a defined condition.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes: a sheet feeding conveyor that feeds and conveys a recording medium to a conveyance path; an image former that performs image formation on the recording medium; a medium sensor that is disposed on an upstream side of the recording medium from the image former on the conveyance path and measures one or more sheet physical properties regarding the recording medium conveyed; a first hardware processor that determines a type of the recording medium on a basis of the sheet physical properties measured by the medium sensor; a second hardware processor that determines conveyance performance for the recording medium; and a third hardware processor that determines whether or not to perform the image formation on a basis of the conveyance performance in a case where the type of the recording medium determined by the first hardware processor is a type out of product specifications.

Abstract: An image forming device includes: a sheet feeder that feeds a sheet; a controller that: discriminates a sheet type of the sheet, and receives a user input to specify a sheet type; and an image forming device that has two setting modes including an automatic discrimination mode in which an image is formed based on the discriminated sheet type and a user specified mode in which an image is formed based on the sheet type specified by the user input. The controller automatically switches one of the two setting modes to the other based on a defined condition.

Abstract: The present invention is a method for improving soil, wherein a lignin decomposition product having an aldehyde yield by alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation of 5% by mass or more, a weight average molecular weight of 300 or more and 100,000 or less, and a contact angle with water is 15° or more is supplied to soil.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for growing a plant, including bringing a lignin decomposition product having an aldehyde yield by alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation of 10% by mass or more into contact with the plant.

Abstract: An image forming device including an optical sensor, an ultrasound sensor, and a conveyance guide. The optical sensor and the ultrasound sensor are disposed alongside a conveyance path of a sheet and are used to determine sheet type. The conveyance guide guides the sheet along the conveyance path. The conveyance guide is structured such that, on the conveyance path between the optical sensor and the ultrasound sensor, the sheet is in contact with the conveyance guide while a portion of the sheet is in a light irradiation range of the optical sensor and a different portion of the sheet is in an ultrasound irradiation range of the ultrasound sensor.

Abstract: A heater includes: a planar heat generator; a power supply circuit that controls supply of power to the planar heat generator; a plurality of temperature sensors that is provided on the planar heat generator and measures a temperature; and a hardware processor that detects abnormality of the temperature sensor in a case where a difference in temperature measured by each of two of the temperature sensors out of the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds an abnormality threshold value after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the supply of power to the planar heat generator is stopped.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet includes: a rotating body that forms the image; a motor that rotationally drives the rotating body; a current measurer that measures a motor current flowing through a current supply path including a winding of the motor at a measurement timing that is a timing after the motor is started; a torque acquisitor that acquires a torque value of the motor, based on a measured value of the motor current; and a corrector that performs correction to cancel a current change amount based on a characteristic change depending on a temperature state of the motor at the measurement timing, in acquisition of the torque value by the torque acquisitor.

Abstract: A heater includes: a planar heat generator; a power supply circuit that controls supply of power to the planar heat generator; a plurality of temperature sensors that is provided on the planar heat generator and measures a temperature; and a hardware processor that detects abnormality of the temperature sensor in a case where a difference in temperature measured by each of two of the temperature sensors out of the plurality of temperature sensors exceeds an abnormality threshold value after a predetermined waiting time has elapsed since the supply of power to the planar heat generator is stopped.

Abstract: A heater includes: a planar heat generator; a power supply circuit that controls supply of power to the planar heat generator; a plurality of temperature sensors that is provided on the planar heat generator and measures a temperature; and a hardware processor that controls the power supply circuit in a predetermined condition to maintain a temperature measured by at least one of the plurality of temperature sensors at a target value, wherein the planar heat generator includes: an insulator; and a heat generator disposed on the insulator, the heat generator includes each of a plurality of linear parts extending in parallel with each other at a predetermined interval P, and each of the plurality of temperature sensors is disposed along a direction orthogonal to an extending direction of each of the plurality of linear parts at a position mutually shifted by a predetermined distance D.

Abstract: A control device that includes an electronic control unit that is configured to: detect an actual current value flowing through the solenoid valve; receive a current command value and the actual current value detected and generate a primary command voltage value while feeding back the current command value on the basis of the actual current value; calculate a dither command voltage value to cause a periodic voltage oscillation; filter the actual current value detected to remove a frequency corresponding to a period of the dither command voltage value and output the filtered actual current value; generate a secondary command voltage value by superimposing the dither command voltage value generated on the primary command voltage value generated; convert the secondary command voltage value generated into a PWM signal; and generate, on the basis of the PWM signal generated, an application voltage to be applied to the solenoid valve.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that forms an image on a sheet includes: a rotating body that forms the image; a motor that rotationally drives the rotating body; a current measurer that measures a motor current flowing through a current supply path including a winding of the motor at a measurement timing that is a timing after the motor is started; a torque acquisitor that acquires a torque value of the motor, based on a measured value of the motor current; and a corrector that performs correction to cancel a current change amount based on a characteristic change depending on a temperature state of the motor at the measurement timing, in acquisition of the torque value by the torque acquisitor.

Abstract: A power control apparatus that supplies an AC current to a load and adjusts a current amount by setting a portion of a phase range among each of half-wave periods of the AC current to be supplied as a conduction angle and setting the remainder as a non-conduction angle, includes: a reference value determiner that defines a period across a plurality of half-wave periods as a current determination period and that determines a reference value of the conduction angle; and a distribution processor that determines a distribution value to distribute the conduction angle and performs current amount adjustment by distributed conduction angles, wherein the distribution processor determines the distribution value within one current determination period such that the value includes a positive distribution value and a negative distribution value, and an average value of the distributed conduction angles is within ±2.5% with respect to the reference value.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for growing a plant, including bringing a lignin decomposition product having an aldehyde yield by alkaline nitrobenzene oxidation of 10% by mass or more into contact with the plant.

Abstract: An image forming apparatus that conveys a sheet and forms an image on the sheet, the image forming apparatus includes: a plurality of rollers that are arranged at different positions from one another in a conveyance path of the sheet, and convey the sheet; a motor that rotationally drives at least one of the rollers; a drive that drives the motor by applying a current to the motor; and a hardware processor that determines whether a jam has occurred and a jam type, in accordance with a change in the current flowing in the motor in a period during which the sheet is expected to pass through a target roller being rotationally driven by the motor among the rollers.