Abstract: An image forming apparatus includes an image bearing member, a development device that includes a developer bearing member in a development position opposite to the image bearing member to develop an electrostatic latent image formed on the image bearing member, and a bias applying portion that applies a development bias to the developer bearing member. A degradation sensing portion senses information related to a level of degradation of toner stored in the development device, and an acquisition portion acquires information on a type of a recording material to which a toner image developed by the development device is transferred.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate, a surface of which is provided with: a source region having a first conductivity type is formed in a body region having a second conductivity type opposite to the first conductivity type; a main electrode connected to the source region and the body region; and a gate electrode, to which a voltage for controlling a current flowing through the main electrode is applied, and the semiconductor device includes: a recess formed in the surface of the semiconductor substrate, wherein the source region is exposed on an inner surface of the recess and the main electrode is connected to the source region at the inner surface of the recess.

Abstract: Provided is a glass base material having excellent sodium feeding capability as a glass base material for solar cells such as compound semiconductor solar cells. The invention is concerned with a glass base material which is used for solar cells, wherein on at least one surface thereof, a sodium concentration in a depth of 0.2 ?m from the surface of the glass base material is 0.55 or larger in terms of a relative value relative to a sodium concentration in a depth of 1 ?m from the surface of the glass base material.

Abstract: Provided is a therapeutic agent for hyperparathyroidism, renal osteodystrophy, hypercalcemia and the like, which has a CaSR activating (agonist) action. A compound represented by the following general formula (1): [wherein, Ar which is a partial structure in the general formula (1) represents a phenyl group or a naphthyl group; R1a and R1b are the same or different from each other, and represent a hydrogen atom, a halogeno group, or the like; R2a and R2b are the same or different from each other, and represent a hydrogen atom, a halogeno group, or the like; A represents a single bond, an oxygen atom, or the like; B represents a single bond, a C1-C4 alkanediyl group, or the like; Z represents a carboxyl group or a tetrazolyl group; and m represents an integer of 1 to 3] or a pharmacologically acceptable salt thereof.

Abstract: In an exemplary communication apparatus, an assignment module determines whether processing for a second packet assigned the flow ID associated with a received first packet is being executed. The assignment module determines a parallel processing module to execute processing for the first packet and a parameter to be included in a notice of assignment. The determined parallel processing module acquires a result of execution of the processing for the second packet from the computation table or the result of execution of the processing held in the parallel processing module according to the received notice of assignment. The determined parallel processing module executes the processing for the first packet using the result of execution of the processing for the second packet and the information included in the notice of assignment, and updates a computation table with a result of execution of the processing for the first packet.

Abstract: A group III nitride composite substrate includes a support substrate and a group III nitride film. A ratio st/mt of a standard deviation st of the thickness of the group III nitride film, to a mean value mt of the thickness thereof is 0.001 or more and 0.2 or less, and a ratio so/mo of a standard deviation so of an absolute value of an off angle between a main surface of the group III nitride film and a plane of a predetermined plane orientation, to a mean value mo of the absolute value of the off angle thereof is 0.005 or more and 0.6 or less. Accordingly, there is provided a low-cost and large-diameter group III nitride composite substrate including a group III nitride film having a large thickness, a small thickness variation, and a high crystal quality.

Abstract: An engine control apparatus includes a stack detecting unit, a count processing unit, a stack value storage control unit, and an abnormality determination unit. The abnormality determination unit determines that a sensor has a stack abnormality when a count value by the count processing unit becomes equal to or more than an abnormality determination threshold. When maximum value of the detected value of the sensor detected during a determination period is lower than a value stored in a storage unit and a stack state has not been detected by the stack detecting unit during the determination period, the count processing unit does not count up a counter and does not reset the counter.

Abstract: A circuit includes first and second capacitances arranged on a first path that connects first and second terminals; a first switch arranged between the first capacitance and the second capacitance; a second switch arranged on a second path that connects a reference voltage section and a first node formed between the first capacitance and the first switch; a third switch arranged on a third path that connects the section and a second node formed between the second capacitance and the first switch; a first resistance arranged on a fourth path that connects the first node and a third node formed between the first terminal and the first capacitance; a second resistance arranged on a fifth path that connects the second node and a fourth node formed between the second terminal and the second capacitance; a fourth switch on the fourth path; and a fifth switch on the fifth path.

Abstract: A clip couples a first member with a first through-hole, and a second member with a second through-hole. The clip includes a flexible cylindrical portion having a predetermined center axis line, opening two ends, and formed so that a distance from the center axis line to an outside surface is different in a rotational direction around the center axis line. The center axis line is orthogonal to an axis line of the coupling hole, and the cylindrical portion is inserted into a coupling hole rotatably between a first rotational position and a second rotational position around the center axis line. The cylindrical portion is set to have a distance between the center axis line and the outside surface to be loosely fitted in the coupling hole at the first rotational position and to be clamped between hole walls of the coupling hole at the second rotational position.

Abstract: An up-drawing continuous casting apparatus according to one aspect of the invention includes a molten metal holding furnace that holds molten metal; a shape determining member that is arranged near a molten metal surface of the molten metal held in the molten metal holding furnace, and that determines a sectional shape of a cast casting by the molten metal passing through the shape determining member, the shape determining member including a pattern provided on an upper surface of the shape determining member; an imaging portion configured to capture an image of the pattern that is reflected onto both retained molten metal that has passed through the shape determining member, and the casting formed by the retained molten metal solidifying; an image analyzing portion configured to determine a solidification interface from the image; and a casting controlling portion configured to change a casting condition.

Abstract: An up-drawing continuous casting method according to one aspect of the invention is an up-drawing continuous casting method for forming a bent shape in a cast casting by forming the casting in a first direction and then changing an up-drawing direction to a second direction and forming the casting in the second direction. This up-drawing continuous casting method includes drawing up the molten metal in the first direction; and changing the up-drawing direction to a third direction in which an angle between the third direction and the first direction is greater than an angle between the second direction and the first direction, from after a portion that will have the bent shape passes through the molten metal passage portion until the portion that will have the bent shape reaches a solidification interface, and then drawing up the molten metal.

Abstract: An imaging apparatus including: a solid-state imaging device including pixels arranged in rows and columns, the device including: an OB pixel unit including rows of light-shielding pixels among the pixels; and a valid pixel unit including pixels allowing light from the subject to enter among the pixels; an exposure control unit which exposes the second pixel unit; a read line selecting unit which sequentially selects one or more pixel rows of the OB pixel unit, at different timings during exposure of the valid pixel unit, and causes each of pixels of the one or more pixel rows to output a pixel signal; and a dark charge measuring unit which measures the quantity of dark charge due to dark current of the device using current ones of pixel signals, each time pixel signals are output from the OB pixel unit through the selection by the read line selecting unit.

Abstract: A vehicular lamp includes a plurality of light-emitting elements arranged such that light-emitting surfaces of the light-emitting elements face toward a front of the vehicular lamp; and a projection lens having a plurality of projection regions that face the respective light-emitting elements, and project light source images of the respective light-emitting elements facing the projection regions, to the front of the vehicular lamp. A lamp rear surface of the projection lens has protruding portions provided in the respective projection regions, the protruding portions protruding toward the respective light-emitting elements facing the protruding portions. A lamp front surface of the projection lens is flatter than the lamp rear surface.

Abstract: An epidermis pattern detection unit detects epidermis patterns in an epidermis image captured from the epidermis of skin by an epidermis image capturing unit. An acquired element analysis unit analyzes uniformity of shapes of the epidermis patterns in the epidermis image. A texture evaluation unit evaluates a texture state of the skin based on the uniformity of shapes of the epidermis patterns. The present technology, for example, may be applied to systems that evaluate the texture state of the skin.

Abstract: A control unit performs a engaging control, which supplies an ON pressure to a engaging-side oil chamber to set a lock mechanism to a locked state and then decreases the hydraulic pressure of the engaging-side oil chamber, when a running mode is selected, and performs a releasing control, which supplies an OFF pressure to a release-side oil chamber to set the lock mechanism to an unlocked state and then decreases the hydraulic pressure of the release-side oil chamber, when a non-running mode is selected. In the case where the control unit determines to control the friction element in the engaged state to become the released state, the control unit starts supplying the OFF pressure to the release-side oil chamber to cause the unlocked state of the lock mechanism, and starts supplying the hydraulic pressure to the engaging-side oil chamber and reduces the hydraulic pressure of the release-side oil chamber.

Abstract: A sealant applying apparatus includes a fastener rotating unit which supports a fastener to be rotatable around a central axis, and a sealant discharging unit which applies a sealant to the fastener by discharging the sealant. The fastener rotating unit includes a first holding member and a second holding member which hold the fastener to be rotatable, and a base which supports the first and second holding members. The first holding member is installed to the base to be exchangeable.

Abstract: An image-capturing apparatus includes an insertion and removal unit configured to insert and remove the infrared light cut filter to and from an optical path of the image-capturing optical system. An adjustment command capable of describing a brightness value of a brightness of the subject and a delay time for determining the brightness and capable of separately describing the brightness value in each of the cases where the infrared light cut filter is inserted into or removed from the optical path is received from the external apparatus via a network. A determination is made as to whether a content of an adjustment command matches a content stored in advance, and the brightness value and the delay time included in the adjustment command are converted into values that can be set in a case where the determination unit determines that the content of the adjustment command matches the content stored.

Abstract: A grease composition contains a calcium sulfonate complex grease and an additive. The additive includes an overbased metal sulfonate and an antioxidant. The overbased metal sulfonate is preferably an overbased calcium sulfonate. The antioxidant is preferably an aminic antioxidant.

Abstract: According to one embodiment, a gesture detection supporting system for an X-ray diagnosis includes memory circuitry, a sensor, processing circuitry and an attaching instrument. The memory circuitry stores an operation content of an X-ray diagnostic apparatus. The operation content is related to a gesture by a user. The sensor senses a gesture. The processing circuitry detects the gesture, based on an output from the sensor; acquire the operation content of the X-ray diagnostic apparatus, from the memory circuitry, based on a detection result of the gesture; and output operation information to the X-ray diagnostic apparatus, based on the operation content. The attaching instrument attaches the sensor to a ceiling of an examination room, an arm for driving an X-ray tube and an X-ray detector, an intravenous drip stand, an injector of a contrast agent, an X-ray protective board and/or a display for displaying an X-ray image.

Abstract: A developing unit includes a developing container, a developing sleeve, a developer regulating member, and a magnetic field generating portion. The magnetic field generating portion includes a drawing-up pole and a cut pole. In addition, in a peak-to-peak area, the magnetic field generating portion includes at least one of an Fr flat area in which Fr is substantially constant and an Fr attenuation area in which Fr attenuates toward the cut pole side from the drawing-up pole side, and is configured that F? is oriented toward the same direction as a direction of rotation of the developing sleeve in the entire peak-to-peak area.