Abstract: Provided is a method that produces a saturated aldehyde from a 1,2-alkanediol in high yield. Disclosed is a method for producing a saturated aldehyde from a 1,2-alkanediol in the presence of a regular mesoporous material.

Abstract: Provided is a fluorescence detection device that is capable of accurately detecting the intensity of fluorescence from a sample, even when using a microarray in which a sample having a certain degree of thickness in a direction of irradiating the sample with excitation light is disposed. The fluorescence detection device (6) according to the invention detects fluorescence from a translucent sample (4) containing a fluorescent substance. The fluorescence detection device includes an excitation light irradiation unit (12) that irradiates the sample with excitation light, a detection unit (18) that detects fluorescence from the sample, and an irradiation angle adjustment unit (14) that adjusts an irradiation angle of the excitation light with respect to the sample in accordance with dimensions of the sample.

Abstract: The invention relates to a polyester resin for toner, the polyester resin containing a monomer unit derived from isosorbide and a monomer unit derived from 1,2-propanediol, in which the proportion of the monomer unit derived from isosorbide is from 2 to 11% by mass with respect to the total mass of the polyester resin, and a glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polyester resin for toner is from 56 to 70° C. According to the invention, it is possible to provide a polyester resin for toner from which toner excellent in storage stability, fixing property, hot offset resistance and image stability in the case of using isosorbide is obtained, and a method for producing the polyester resin for toner. In addition, the toner obtained from the polyester resin for toner of the invention is excellent in storage stability, fixing property, hot offset resistance and image stability in the case of using isosorbide.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for production of a porous membrane that includes the steps of layering a film-forming dope that contains a polymer (A) that forms a membrane base, a polyvinylpyrrolidone (B) and a solvent (C) into a single layer or two or more layers; immersing the film-forming dope in a solidifying fluid that is a non-solvent with respect to the polymer (A) and is a good solvent with respect to the polyvinylpyrrolidone (B); and removing the polyvinylpyrrolidone (B), wherein the polyvinylpyrrolidone (B) has a K value of 50 to 80, a mass ratio r of the polyvinylpyrrolidone (B) to the polymer (A) is 0.5 or more and less than 1, and the viscosity of the film-forming dope at a membrane production temperature is 100 to 500 Pa·s.

Abstract: This dispersion-type acrylic copolymer has a matrix (I) formed of an acrylic copolymer having a glass transition temperature of 50° C. or higher and a polymer unit (II) formed of an acrylic copolymer having a glass transition temperature of less than 50° C., the polymer unit (II) forms localized regions having an average diameter of 5-300 nm in the matrix (I), the matrix (I) and polymer unit (II) contain units of a crosslinking component, and the content of these units of a crosslinking component is more than 2% by mass relative to the total weight of the acrylic copolymer.

Abstract: A copolymer for lithography having a turbidity Th(80) of 1.0 NTU or more and 4.6 NTU or less and a turbidity Tm(80) of 1.0 NTU or more and 3.8 NTU or less, in which this turbidity Th(80) is a turbidity of a PGMEA solution when n-heptane in an amount to be 80% of (X)h is added to this PGMEA solution where (X)h denotes an amount of n-heptane added to have a turbidity of 10 NTU when n-heptane is added to the PGMEA solution containing this copolymer for lithography at 20 wt % with respect to a total mass of this PGMEA solution; and this turbidity Tm(80) is a turbidity of a PGMEA solution when methanol in an amount to be 80% of (X)m is added to this PGMEA solution where (X)m denotes an amount of methanol added to have a turbidity of 5.0 NTU when methanol is added to this PGMEA solution containing this copolymer for lithography at 20 wt % with respect to a total mass of this PGMEA solution.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a porous electrode substrate with greater sheet strength, lower production cost, and excellent gas permeability and conductivity as well as its manufacturing method are provided. Also provided are a precursor sheet for forming such a substrate, and a membrane electrode assembly and a polymer electrolyte fuel cell containing such a substrate. The method for manufacturing such a porous electrode substrate includes the following steps [1]˜[3]: [1] a step for manufacturing a sheet material in which short carbon fibers (A) are dispersed; [2] a step for manufacturing a precursor sheet by adding a water-soluble phenolic resin and/or water-dispersible phenolic resin to the sheet material; and [3] a step for carbonizing the precursor sheet at a temperature of 1000° C. or higher.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a film which comprises a resin composition comprising an acrylic resin (A) and a vinylidene fluoride resin (B), wherein the acrylic resin (A) is composed of an acrylic monomer (a-1) unit and an ultraviolet ray absorbing monomer (a-2) unit, and the ratio of the amount of the ultraviolet ray absorbing monomer (a-2) unit in the acrylic resin (A) to the total mass of all of monomer units in the acrylic resin (A) is 4 to 25 mass %, According to the present invention, it becomes possible to provide a film which comprises a vinylidene fluoride resin, can maintain a high total light transmittance and a low haze value for a long period, and has excellent ultraviolet ray blocking performance.

Abstract: A golf club shaft which satisfies strength and is lightweight is provided by the present invention. This golf club shaft comprises one or more fiber-reinforced resin layers, and is characterized by satisfying the following relationship (1), wherein x [mm] is the displacement in a cantilever bending test, M [g] is the mass of the golf club shaft, and L [mm] is the length thereof, and by satisfying the following strength standard values [1]-[4]: M×(L/1168)<49.66 e?0.0015x (relationship 1); [1] the three-point bending strength at T-90 (the position 90 mm apart from the smaller-diameter end) is 800 N or higher; [2] the three-point bending strength at T-175 (the position 175 mm apart from the smaller-diameter end) is 400 N or higher; [3] the three-point bending strength at T-525 (the position 525 mm apart from the smaller-diameter end) is 400 N or higher; and [4] the three-point bending strength at B-175 (the position 175 mm apart from the larger-diameter end) is 400 N or higher.

Abstract: A steam-drawing apparatus has supply roll 1 that transfers carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle (T) in a transfer direction of fiber bundle (T); fiber-opening device 2 for opening fiber bundle (T); width control device 3 for controlling the width of fiber bundle (T); steam box 4 to provide steam for heating fiber bundle (T) to a temperature that allows fiber bundle (T) to be drawn; and haul-off roll 5 that transfers fiber bundle (T) at a speed faster than that of supply roll 1. Using width control device 3 provided at a position between supply roll 1 and steam box 4, the width of fiber bundle (T) after passing through width control device 3 is set to be 65˜110% of the width of fiber bundle (T) before entering the supply roll. The present invention proposes a method for producing a carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundle using such a steam-drawing apparatus capable of conducting a high-speed drawing process of carbon-fiber-precursor acrylic fiber bundles at a high draw rate with stable results.

Abstract: Improving wild nitrile hydratase enables the provision of a protein which has nitrile hydratase activity and which has further improved heat resistance, amide compound resistance and high temperature accumulation properties. Use protein (A) or (B), (A) being a protein characterized by having nitrile hydratase activity and by including an amino acid sequence in which a specific amino acid residue in an amino acid sequence in wild nitrile hydratase has been substituted by another amino acid residue, and (B) being a protein characterized by having nitrile hydratase activity and by including an amino acid sequence in which one or several amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of protein (A), other than the abovementioned specific amino acid residue, is deleted, substituted and/or added.

Abstract: A prepreg formed from a resin and unidirectionally aligned reinforcement fibers, characterized in that: the prepreg is sheet-shaped; the prepreg has cutouts of a depth for cutting the reinforcement fibers, and includes reinforcement fibers (A) cut by the cutouts to a length of 10 to 50 mm and reinforcement fibers (B) having a length of equal to or more than 50% of the sheet length of the prepreg in the alignment direction of the reinforcement fibers; the surface area of a band section including the reinforcement fibers (B) in a plan view is 1.4% to 35.0% of the entire surface area of the prepreg in a plan view; and at least one end of the reinforcement fibers (B) is positioned at an end portion of the prepreg in the alignment direction of the reinforcement fibers.

Abstract: The invention provides a thermoplastic resin composition, which does not substantially compromise color rendering and flame retardance of a thermoplastic resin and has high impact resistance, slidability, and chemical resistance in a wide scope of environmental conditions ranging from low temperature to high temperature. A graft copolymer (GF2) containing rubber is a graft copolymer containing rubber formed by performing graft polymerization of 1 or more vinyl monomers on a composite rubber containing a polyorganosiloxane (B1) and a polyalkyl (meth)acrylate (B2). The content of a component derived from a silane compound containing a vinyl-based polymerizable group in the polyorganosiloxane (B1) is 1 mass % to 10 mass %. The volume-average particle size of the graft copolymer containing rubber is 300 nm to 2000 nm. The content of the polyorganosiloxane (B1) in the graft copolymer containing rubber is 70 mass % to 98 mass %. An acetone soluble matter is 5.0 mass % or more and 30.0 mass % or less.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a technique for suppressing a decrease in nitrile hydratase activity and improving the productivity of the amide compound in the course of producing an amide compound from a nitrile compound using a biocatalyst. Specifically, the invention pertains to a method for producing the corresponding amide compound from a nitrile compound in the presence of a biocatalyst having nitrile hydratase activity, wherein the method for producing an amide compound using a nitrile compound is characterized in that the zinc concentration of the nitrile compound is 0.4 ppm or less.

Abstract: Improving wild nitrile hydratase enables the provision of a protein which has nitrile hydratase activity and which has further improved heat resistance, amide compound resistance and high temperature accumulation properties. Use protein (A) or (B), (A) being a protein characterised by having nitrile hydratase activity and by including an amino acid sequence in which a specific amino acid residue in an amino acid sequence in wild nitrile hydratase has been substituted by another amino acid residue, and (B) being a protein characterised by having nitrile hydratase activity and by including an amino acid sequence in which one or several amino acid residues in the amino acid sequence of protein (A), other than the abovementioned specific amino acid residue, is deleted, substituted and/or added.

Abstract: A variety of molded bodies having high weatherability, impact resistance, designability, and the like, and a polyorganosiloxane latex and a graft copolymer used as the raw materials therefor are provided, where the polyorganosiloxane latex has a mass average particle diameter (Dw) of a polyorganosiloxane particle of 100 to 200 nm, and a ratio of the mass average particle diameter (Dw) to a number average particle diameter (Dn) (Dw/Dn) of 1.0 to 1.7. A polyorganosiloxane-containing vinyl-based copolymer (g) obtained by polymerizing one or more vinyl-based monomers in the presence of the latex. A graft copolymer (G) is obtained by graft polymerizing one or more vinyl-based monomers in the presence of the copolymer. A thermoplastic resin composition includes the graft copolymer (G) and a thermoplastic resin (Ha) except for the graft copolymer (G). A molded body is obtained by molding the resin composition.

Abstract: A molded product with excellent transparency can be obtained by using a polymer (D) obtained by suspension polymerization of a monomer mixture (1) containing (a) to (c) below: (a) 5-60 mass % of a specific macromonomer; (b) 5-60 mass % of the raw material monomer of a homopolymer (B) that has a solubility parameter that is different by 0.25 or more from the solubility parameter of the macromonomer (a); and (c) 10-80 mass % of the raw material monomer of a homopolymer (C) that has a solubility parameter that is different by less than 0.25 from the solubility parameter of macromonomer (a).

Abstract: Provided is a blood circulation promoting external preparation containing carbonated water which is applied to a target site of a living body together with ultrasonic irradiation.

Abstract: Provided is a microarray processing apparatus which is capable of sufficiently washing a microarray. The microarray processing apparatus (30) includes a well plate (38) in which one or two or more wells (40) are formed, each well (40) accommodating a microarray (1), and a suction nozzle (46) that suctions a liquid from the well. The well has a concave portion whose upper end is opened, which has a depth equal to or greater than a height of the microarray, and into which a front end of the suction nozzle can be inserted up to a height position of a lower end of the microarray accommodated in the well. The suction nozzle can relatively descend in the well until the front end of the suction nozzle is located at the height position of the lower end of the microarray accommodated in the well.

Abstract: There is provided an aqueous acrylamide solution including 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl in the ratio of 2 to 100 mg and manganese ions in the ratio of 0.2 to 2.0 mg per 1 kg of acrylamide. According to the present invention, an aqueous acrylamide solution having favorable quality and high stability with suppressed polymerization of acrylamide, a stabilizer used therefore, and a stabilization method can be provided.