Abstract: The processes fine-tune vision-language models (VLMs) on large-scale image caption datasets to amend VLM text feature vectors of attribute-neutral descriptions given attribute-neutralization lists, such that the attribute-neutral descriptions are equidistant to those of attribute-specific descriptions using annotation-free debiasing loss without using attribute labels. Feature vectors for attribute-neutral descriptions can be debiased, whereas the attribute-specific descriptions retain the original information. One or more attribute groups can be used for the attribute-neutralization. There can be more than one VLM, such as for different human languages or different human cultures where some biasing can want to be retained. The processes can be applied to any image group, such as objects, animals, plants, rocks, or other object types, where there is at least one attribute group that contains at least two attributes for neutralization.

Abstract: Systems and methods are used to mitigate societal bias in image-text datasets by removing spurious correlations between protected groups and image attributes. Using text-guided inpainting models, the methods ensures protected group independence from all attributes and mitigates inpainting biases through data filtering. Evaluations on multi-label image classification and image captioning tasks show that the methods effectively reduce bias without compromising performance across various models.

Abstract: Provided is a fishing spinning reel including a fishing line guide that guides a fishing line to a spool, and the fishing line guide includes a line roller that guides the fishing line picked up by a bail to the spool, and a line slider that guides the fishing line from the bail to the line roller. The line slider includes an attachment part that the bail is integrally joined to or formed with, and a wall that separates a first depression from a second depression, the first depression accommodating at least a part of a head of an arm-lever fastening screw member when the arm-lever fastening screw member is attached, the second depression accommodating an end of the line roller and covering an outer periphery of the end with a minute gap provided, and the wall and the line slider are formed of a single member.

Abstract: A fishing spinning reel comprises a line roller that guides a fishing line to a spool around which the fishing line is wound and held. The line roller comprises a roller that is rotatably provided in a shaft portion with bearings interposed therebetween. The roller comprises: a fishing line guiding portion that is disposed on a side of a bail support member, and guides the fishing line to the spool; a fishing line leading portion that is formed to have a diameter that is greater than the diameter of the fishing line guiding portion, and leads the fishing line to the fishing line guiding portion; and a fishing line regulating portion that is disposed between the fishing line guiding portion and the fishing line leading portion to be inclined, and regulates a movement of the fishing line in an axial direction of the shaft portion.

Abstract: Provided is a fishing spinning reel including a fishing line guide that guides a fishing line to a spool, and the fishing line guide includes a line roller that guides the fishing line picked up by a bail to the spool, and a line slider that guides the fishing line from the bail to the line roller. The line slider includes an attachment part that the bail is integrally joined to or formed with, and a wall that separates a first depression from a second depression, the first depression accommodating at least a part of a head of an arm-lever fastening screw member when the arm-lever fastening screw member is attached, the second depression accommodating an end of the line roller and covering an outer periphery of the end with a minute gap provided, and the wall and the line slider are formed of a single member.

Abstract: Provided is an electronic clock including: a power generator; a secondary battery, which is to be charged with electric power generated by the power generator; a balance information transmitter configured to transmit, to a computer, balance information relating to a transition of a power generation amount or a charging balance of the secondary battery; a connection time period setting module configured to set a connection time period of a connection with the computer based on the balance information; and a communication controller configured to control a start and an end of communication to/from the computer based on the connection time period.

Abstract: To lower magnetic influence on a stepping motor covered by a magnetic shielding plate in an electronic timepiece and a movement, a movement of an electronic timepiece includes a stepping motor having a rotor, a stator, and a coil in which a conductive wire is wound around a coil winding core; and a magnetic shielding plate that covers at least a part of the stepping motor, wherein the magnetic shielding plate includes slits as magnetic flow changing portions that change magnetic flows which are directed toward the coil winding core to magnetic flows which are not directed toward the coil winding core, and the slits are formed in portions of the magnetic shielding plate, which correspond to extended lines from both end portions of the coil winding core, respectively, to intersect with the extended lines.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that forms toner images on a recording material. A control unit is configured to set, when performing fixing processing to fix a toner image onto the recording material, a first mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with electric power supply to the heater, a second mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with the electric power supply to the heater and temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion, and a third mode where the blower unit is driven in accordance with temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion.

Abstract: A controller of an image heating apparatus executes a first heater control operation, when a sheet having a width such that the sheet passes both a position of a first temperature detector and a position of a second temperature detector, is heated in a nip, for controlling power supply to a heater so that a temperature detected by the second temperature detector is maintained at a heater target temperature, and a second heater control operation, when a sheet having a width such that the sheet passes through the position of the first temperature detector, but does not pass through the position of the second temperature detector, is heated in the nip, for controlling the power supply to the heater, so that the temperature detected by the first temperature detector, irrespective of the temperature detected by the second temperature detector, is maintained at a film target temperature.

Abstract: In a first image formation mode, an image is formed with a first development contrast C1 and a specific dot pattern is formed with a second development contrast C2, which is lower than the first development contrast C1; in a second image formation mode, an image is formed with a third development contrast C3 and a specific dot pattern is formed with a fourth development contrast C4, which is lower than the third development contrast C3; and when ?C1 (=C2/C1) denotes a ratio between the second development contrast C2 and the first development contrast C1, and ?C2 (=C4/C3) denotes a ratio between the fourth development contrast C4 and the third development contrast C3, ?C2<?C1 is satisfied.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to an image forming apparatus that forms toner images on a recording material. A control unit is configured to set, when performing fixing processing to fix a toner image onto the recording material, a first mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with electric power supply to the heater, a second mode where thermal generation distribution of the heater is switched in accordance with the electric power supply to the heater and temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion, and a third mode where the blower unit is driven in accordance with temperature at the non-sheet-passing portion.