Abstract: An actuator having good interlayer adhesion at a lamination interface, good conductivity of an electrode layer, and good smoothness of the electrode layer is provided. The actuator includes a plurality of elastomer layers and a plurality of electrode layers, and the elastomer layers and electrode layers are alternately laminated. The electrode layer contains carbon black, a content of the carbon black in the electrode layer is 10% by mass or more and 20% by mass or less, and a specific surface area of the carbon black is 380 g/m2 or more and 800 m2/g or less.

Abstract: A wire harness includes a wiring member, an exterior member through which the wiring member is inserted, and a protector that is fixed to a vehicle and holds the exterior member. The protector includes a holding member that holds the exterior member, a fixing member that is fixed to the vehicle, and a tubular member that is formed in a tubular shape and on which the holding member and the fixing member are disposed. At least one of the holding member or the fixing member includes a columnar structure that is formed in a columnar shape and is slidingly fittable into the tubular member.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode contains, as a negative electrode active material, graphite particles having a volume per mass, of pores having a diameter of 2 nm or less determined by the DFT method from nitrogen adsorption isotherm, of 0.3 mm3/g or less.

Abstract: [Object] To provide a transducer capable of providing a high degree of freedom in deformation and suppressing a risk of breakage and a method of producing the transducer. [Solving Means] In order to achieve the above-described object, a transducer according to an embodiment of the present technology includes an elastomer. The elastomer extends along a predetermined axis direction, and has both end portions in which at least two electrodes having followability are disposed on both sides around a predetermined axis in the predetermined axis direction, the both end portions being elongated to be folded in a direction perpendicular to the predetermined axis. This makes it possible to provide a high degree of freedom in deformation and to suppress a risk of breakage.

Abstract: A coil insertion method includes winding U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coils; inserting the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coils into a transfer block, such that the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coils are held in a plurality of holding grooves of the transfer block so as to spirally overlap, the transfer block having a columnar shape, and the holding grooves being formed in radial fashion around the transfer block so as to open from a center part of the transfer block toward an outer periphery thereof; inserting the transfer block into an inner periphery of the stator core; and pushing a side part of the coils held in the holding grooves radially outward toward predetermined slots of the stator core so that the coils are inserted from the inner peripheral side of the stator core into the slots.

Abstract: Provided is a coil insertion method and device that are capable of mechanically manufacturing, with good efficiency, a spirally wound stator core. This coil insertion method comprises: a winding step for winding U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coils; a step for inserting coils into a transfer block, in which the U-phase, V-phase, and W-phase coils are inserted and held in a plurality of holding grooves of the transfer block so as to spirally overlap, the transfer block having a columnar shape overall, and the holding grooves being formed in radial fashion so as to open from an axial center part toward an outer periphery; and a step for inserting coils into a stator core, in which the transfer block is inserted into an inner periphery of the stator core, and a side part of the coils held in the holding grooves is pressed radially outward toward predetermined slots of the stator core and inserted from the inner peripheral side of the stator core into the slots.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a positive electrode, a negative electrode, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, wherein the negative electrode contains, as a negative electrode active material, graphite particles having a volume per mass, of pores having a diameter of 2 nm or less determined by the DFT method from nitrogen adsorption isotherm, of 0.3 mm3/g or less.

Abstract: In a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery containing a silicon material as a negative electrode active material, the initial charge-discharge efficiency is improved. Negative electrode active material particles (10) according to an embodiment each contain a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) (where 0<z<2) and silicon particles (12) dispersed in the lithium silicate phase (11). In base particles (13) each containing the lithium silicate phase (11) and the silicon particles (12), preferably, a peak originating from SiO2 is not observed at 2?=25° in an XRD pattern obtained by XRD measurement of the particles.

Abstract: A multi-well plate allows for improvement in accuracy of experiments or tests. The present invention relates to a multi-well plate comprising: a top portion placed in a horizontal direction; a bottom portion opposing the top portion in a direction crossing the horizontal direction; and wells each recessed from the top portion toward the bottom portion, wherein the wells are horizontally arranged in a matrix with rows and columns, and each well has an opening formed at the top portion, and a peripheral wall extending from a periphery of the opening to the bottom portion. In the multi-well plate, at least two wells respectively include marks each containing at least one symbol, and each mark is placed at an opening peripheral wall end portion close to the corresponding opening.

Abstract: A nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery (10) according to one embodiment of the present disclosure is provided with: an electrode body (14) which is obtained by winding a positive electrode (30) and a negative electrode (40), with a separator (50) being interposed therebetween; a nonaqueous electrolyte; and a battery case (15) which is formed of a metal and contains the electrode body (14) and the nonaqueous electrolyte. The negative electrode (40) comprises a negative electrode collector (41) and a negative electrode active material layer (42) that contains graphite particles as a negative electrode active material; the outer circumferential surface of the electrode body (14) is provided with an exposure part (43) from which the negative electrode collector (41) is exposed so as to be in contact with the inner circumferential surface of the battery case (15); and the graphite particles have a compressive strength of 15 MPa or more.

Abstract: A nucleic acid aptamer inhibits the binding activity or enzymatic activity of a complex comprising guide RNA and nuclease against a target nucleic acid, the nucleic acid aptamer comprising the following regions (1) to (3): (1) a single-stranded guide RNA recognition region comprising a guide RNA-recognizing oligonucleotide including a sequence recognizing the guide RNA; (2) a neck region comprising a first neck oligonucleotide including the PAM sequence, and a second neck oligonucleotide including a sequence having complementarity to the PAM sequence; and (3) a double-stranded structure stabilization region comprising a first structure-stabilizing oligonucleotide and a second structure-stabilizing oligonucleotide, in which the region (1) is linked to the second neck oligonucleotide to form a loop structure or a flap structure, and the regions (2) and (3) are linked to each other to together form a stem structure.

Abstract: There is provided a negative electrode active material for a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery, the negative electrode active material including a base particle containing Si and SiO2, a mixed phase coating that covers a surface of the base particle and contains SiO2 and carbon, and a carbon coating that covers a surface of the mixed phase coating. The base particle is preferably formed of SiOX (0.5?X?1.5). The mixed phase coating preferably contains carbon dispersed in a phase formed of SiO2. The cycle characteristics of a nonaqueous electrolyte secondary battery including negative electrode active material particles containing Si and SiO2 are improved.

Abstract: Provided is a method for synthesizing a protein, into which a nucleobase amino acid (NBA) is introduced at a desired position, that comprises: a step for preparing mRNA into which a modified codon is inserted at a desired position downstream of an initiation codon; and a step for translating the aforesaid mRNA into a protein in the presence of tRNA, said tRNA recognizing the modified codon and being acylated with the NBA. Also provided is a ribozyme that catalyzes the aminoacylation of tRNA and comprises two RNA molecules.

Abstract: The initial charge/discharge efficiency and cycle characteristics of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that contains a silicon material as a negative-electrode active material are improved. A negative-electrode active material particle (10) according to an embodiment contains a base particle (13), which includes a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) {0<z<2} and silicon particles (12) dispersed in the lithium silicate phase (11). The symmetry determined by an image analysis of a backscattered electron image of a cross section of the base particle (13) is 1.5 or less. The symmetry refers to the ratio (b/a) of the half width at half maximum b of a peak on the high-gray-scale side to the half width at half maximum a of the peak on the low-gray-scale side in a histogram of color distinction based on 256 gray levels for each pixel of the backscattered electron image.

Abstract: The initial charge/discharge efficiency and cycle characteristics of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that contains a silicon material as a negative-electrode active material are improved. A negative-electrode active material particle (10) according to an embodiment includes a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) {0<z<2} and silicon particles (12) dispersed in the lithium silicate phase (11). The silicon particles (12) have a crystallite size of 40 nm or less. The crystallite size is calculated using the Scherrer equation from the half-width of the diffraction peak of the Si (111) plane in an XRD pattern obtained by XRD measurement of the negative-electrode active material particle 10.

Abstract: The initial charge/discharge efficiency and cycle characteristics of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that contains a silicon material as a negative-electrode active material are improved. A negative-electrode active material particle (10) according to an embodiment contains a base particle (13), which includes a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) {0<z<2} and silicon particles (12) dispersed in the lithium silicate phase (11). The symmetry determined by an image analysis of a backscattered electron image of a cross section of the base particle (13) is 1.5 or less. The symmetry refers to the ratio (b/a) of the half width at half maximum b of a peak on the high-gray-scale side to the half width at half maximum a of the peak on the low-gray-scale side in a histogram of color distinction based on 256 gray levels for each pixel of the backscattered electron image.

Abstract: A multi-well plate allows for improvement in accuracy of experiments or tests. The present invention relates to a multi-well plate comprising: a top portion placed in a horizontal direction; a bottom portion opposing the top portion in a direction crossing the horizontal direction; and wells each recessed from the top portion toward the bottom portion, wherein the wells are horizontally arranged in a matrix with rows and columns, and each well has an opening formed at the top portion, and a peripheral wall extending from a periphery of the opening to the bottom portion. In the multi-well plate, at least two wells respectively include marks each containing at least one symbol, and each mark is placed at an opening peripheral wall end portion close to the corresponding opening.

Abstract: Gas evolution during the high-temperature storage of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery is suppressed to improve the high-temperature storage characteristics of the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery. A negative electrode for a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery contains silicon-containing particles and graphite particles. A covering layer is disposed on each of the graphite particles. The covering layer contains a first covering material and a second covering material, the first covering material containing particles that can be made to swell with a non-aqueous electrolytic solution, the second covering material containing a water-soluble polymer material. The first covering material is disposed on a surface of each of the graphite particles. The mass ratio of the second covering material to the first covering material is higher than 1.

Abstract: The initial charge/discharge efficiency and cycle characteristics of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery that contains a silicon material as a negative-electrode active material are improved. A negative-electrode active material particle (10) according to an embodiment includes a lithium silicate phase (11) represented by Li2zSiO(2+z) {0<z<2} and silicon particles (12) dispersed in the lithium silicate phase (11). A lithium silicate constituting the lithium silicate phase has a crystallite size of 40 nm or less. The crystallite size is calculated using the Scherrer equation from the half-width of a diffraction peak of a (111) plane of the lithium silicate in an XRD pattern obtained by XRD measurement of the negative-electrode active material particle 10.

Abstract: A non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery including a silicon material as a negative electrode active material has good discharge rate characteristics. A negative electrode according to an exemplary embodiment includes a negative-electrode current collector and a negative-electrode mixture layer formed on the current collector. The negative-electrode mixture layer contains graphite and a silicon material. A first region that extends from the surface of the mixture layer remote from the negative-electrode current collector in the thickness direction of the negative-electrode mixture layer and has a thickness equal to 40% of the thickness of the mixture layer contains a larger amount of the silicon material than a second region that extends from the surface of the mixture layer adjacent to the negative-electrode current collector and has a thickness equal to 40% of the thickness of the mixture layer. The first region has a lower density than the second region.