Abstract: The present invention discloses a process for breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil, comprising the steps of mixing an emulsion consisting of water and oil with a culture, bacterial cells or a culture supernatant of a bacterium belonging to the genus Alteromonas or the genus Rhodococcus capable of breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil; and consequently separating said emulsion into an aqueous layer and oil layer; and, a process for breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil, comprising the steps of mixing an emulsion comprising water and oil with bacterial cells of a bacterium belonging to the genus Aeromonas capable of breaking an emulsion comprising water and oil so as to form an aqueous layer and an aggregated layer consisting of bacterial cells and oil, and then separating these layers.

Abstract: A bovine- or human-derived calcium-binding protein with a prescribed amino acid sequence, a method for its production, and antibodies against the protein and uses thereof.

Abstract: This invention relates to a hydrotreating catalyst for a hydrocarbon oil and also to a process for hydrotreating the hydrocarbon oil by using the catalyst. More specifically, the present invention is concerned with a hydrotreating catalyst formed by having a hydrogenation-active component supported on a silica-alumina carrier and having a specific pore distribution and also with a hydrotreating process making use of the catalyst for the removal of sulfur compounds and nitrogen compounds from a hydrocarbon oil.

Abstract: The reinforcing method of the invention comprises the steps of removing asphalt from a concrete slab 2 of a road bridge, placing a reinforcing fiber sheet 20 onto the upper surface of the slab, preparing a fiber-reinforced composite material by impregnation with a resin 13 and causing the resin to set, coating an adhesive 22 onto a reinforcing material 21 comprising the foregoing composite material, sprinkling sand 23 thereover to form irregularities of sand 23 on the upper surface of the reinforcing material 21, hardening the adhesive 22, then coating a solvent-based asphalt primer 24 onto the sand 23, and placing asphalt 7 again, thereby completing the reinforcing operation.

Abstract: A spray device is prepared has a plurality of nozzles each of which has a capillary tube surrounded by a gas discharge pore at the end of the nozzle. A molten resin liquid is blown out to a reinforcing fiber from the capillary tube by heated air stream discharged through the gas discharge pore, so that a binder resin layer is formed on the reinforcing fiber. Following this, a resin-permeable supporting sheet and then a back-up sheet are applied to the binder resin layer side of the reinforcing fiber, and a releasing sheet is applied to the other side of the reinforcing fiber. The thus obtained superposed layers are pressed to adhere the reinforcing fiber, the supporting fiber and the back-up sheet to each other.

Abstract: The invention relates to an electrorheological fluid comprising fine silica particles, to which an alcohol-modified silicone oil is bonded, compounded with a nonconducting liquid, to which a polarizing agent is added as necessary. Use of fine silica particles of which the surface is modified by an alcohol-modified silicone oil according to the invention provides an electrorheological fluid which have low initial viscosity, high viscosity increase ratio and excellent dispersion stability.

Abstract: Disclosed are a composition for forming a ceramic material useful for smoothly forming a ceramic film at a low temperature on surfaces of solid products such as substrates used in electronic products, plastic films or the like and a process for producing such a ceramic material. The afore-mentioned composition comprises a silazane-based polymer, and at least one ceramic-transformation promoting agent selected from the group consisting of an amine compound, an acid compound and peroxide. Further, the afore-mentioned ceramic material can be produced by bringing a mixture of the silazane-based polymer and the ceramic-transformation promoting agent into contact with steam.

Abstract: The lubricant composition of the present invention can be used in automatic transmissions and contains 0.05 to 2% of a metallic salt of organic acid (component (A)), such as calcium sulfonate, 0.15 to 4% of a specific polyamide compound (component (B)) and 0.05 to 1.5% of acid phosphate or acid phosphite ester (component (C)) which are added to a lubricant base oil, wherein all percentages are by weight in the total lubricant composition. The lubricant composition for automatic transmissions can show high anti-shudder property, high anti-shudder durability for an extended period, high property of preventing clogging of the friction material, and sufficient transmission torque capacity, while retaining the lubricant characteristic requirements for use in automatic transmissions.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for the production of a polysilazane containing Si--N linkages in the main chain thereof. According to the present invention, the polysilazane is produced by reacting a polyaminosilane compound with a polyhydrogenated nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of a basic catalyst or by reacting a polyhydrogenated silicon compound with a polyhydrogenated nitrogen-containing compound in the presence of a basic solid oxide catalyst.

Abstract: A lubricating oil composition comprising (A) a base oil containing 3% by weight or less of aromatics, 20% by weight or more of monocyclic naphthenes, 50 ppm by weight or less of N and 50 ppm by weight or less of S, having a viscosity (100.degree. C.) of 2 to 50 mm.sup.2 /s, (B) alkyldiphenylamines and/or phenyl-alpha-naphthylamines in an amount of 0.05 to 2% by weight of the total weight of the composition, and (C) C.sub.8 -C.sub.23 MoDTC and/or C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 MoDTP and/or C.sub.8 -C.sub.18 MoDTX in such an amount that the amount of Mo is 50 to 2000 ppm by weight of the total weight of the composition. The lubricating oil composition has high heat resistance, high oxidation stability and excellent lubricating properties, and is particularly useful for a lubricating oil for internal combustion engines and the like.

Abstract: Catalyst particles are contacted with a liquid and a gas in a vertically extending cylindrical vessel. The particles and liquid are placed in the vessel into which the gas and liquid are continuously fed from the bottom thereof so that an upwardly flowing mixture comprising the particles, liquid and gas is formed. The mixture is introduced into a gas separating zone disposed adjacent to an upper portion of the vessel to separate the mixture by gravity into a gas phase, a supernatant liquid phase and a phase rich in the catalyst particles. The gas and supernatant phases are continuously withdrawn from the separating zone while the catalyst particles-rich phase is continuously recycled to the bottom of the vessel by gravity.

Abstract: This invention concerns a monoclonal antibody having binding specificity for an antigenic determinant site on core structural protein from Non-A,Non-B hepatitis virus (NANBV); a hybridoma cell line capable of producing the monoclonal antibody; a process for the preparation of the monoclonal antibody; an immunoassay of NANBV-related antigens by use of the monoclonal antibody; and a test kit for use in the immunoassay. The preferred monoclonal antibody is 5E3, 5F11, 515S or 1080S. The monoclonal antibody can specifically recognize the NANBV core structural protein in sera from patients with Non-A,Non-B hepatitis thereby being served extensively as an antibody in various immunological reagents for definitive diagnosis of Non-A, Non-B hepatitis.

Abstract: There is provided a novel silane compound, di-sec-butoxy-n-propyl methoxysilane. The aforesaid silane compound is prepared by reacting n-propyl trihalosilane with sec-butanol and then reacting a resultant reaction product with methanol.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for obtaining organic solvent resistant microorganisms which comprises subjecting a microbial parent strain to mutagenesis and then to selective cultivation in the presence of 0.1% to 10% by volume (v/v) of concentrations of a toxic organic solvent, and the organic solvent resistant microorganisms obtainable by the method. In addition according to the present invention, a microorganism which is natively hydrophilic and has useful functions but does not show resistance to organic solvents and can not express the useful functions in the organic solvents may be converted into a microorganism capable of growing in the presence of such toxic organic solvents and expressing the useful functions that the hydrophilic parent strain bears natively.

Abstract: A first refrigerating machine oil of the present invention has a sodium and/or potassium concentration of not higher than 0.1 ppm. Since it has low hydrolyzability and excellent insulating properties, the first refrigerating machine oil is useful as a refrigerating machine oil composition for refrigerators having a hermetic compressor. A second refrigerating machine oil of the present invention is composed mainly of an ester of pentaerythritol and a carboxylic acid. The carboxylic acid is a mixed carboxylic acid composed of 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid and a straight-chain or branched fatty acid having from 6 to 8 carbon atoms. The proportion of 3,5,5-trimethylhexanoic acid in the mixed carboxylic acid is in the range of from more than 50 mol % to not more than 90 mol %.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an NS4-related antigenic peptide capable of reacting specifically with antibodies directed against Group I of hepatitis C virus (HCV); to an NS4-related antigenic peptide capable of reacting specifically with antibodies directed against Group II of HCV; to a kit for identifying HCV Groups I or II which comprises said peptides in separate sections; and to methods for grouping HCV. The peptides of the present invention can be used to detect HCV Groups I or II specifically as well as the detection of patients having the mixed infection, by which HCV Group II-infected patients can receive early interferon treatment effectively. The peptides are also useful for diagnosis of HCV infection.

Abstract: A light-weighted prepreg is composed of a sheet-shaped cork material of which opposite surfaces are coated with a resin and a fiber reinforced composite resin layer laminated on at least one surface of the sheet-shaped cork material. The light-weighted prepreg assures that a grip portion or a holder portion having a predetermined diameter is molded with minimized increase of weight while exhibiting excellent shock absorbing properties and gripping or holding comfortability at the time of practical use.

Abstract: Antibodies made to a flanking region GPR(31-98) in human gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) precursor. Since the antibodies have high affinity to GRP precursor, and the GPR precursor is highly stable in the blood, then lung cancer, especially small cell lung cancer can be diagnosed with high reliability by detecting or measuring GRP precursor in the blood of a patient using the present antibodies.

Abstract: There are provided liposomes as an adjuvant which is effective for cellular immunity, has low toxicity and antigenicity, and may be administered to humans. The liposomes have oligosaccharide on their surface which consists of 2 to 11 saccharide residues and binds to lectin of antigen presenting cells. A vaccine may be prepared by reconstituting an antigen into the liposomes.

Abstract: A process for the production of human serum albumin A (HSA) characterized by culturing host cells transformed with the plasmids containing a leader DNA sequence and a cDNA coding for mature HSA to produce and secrete mature HSA, and recovering the mature HSA. As the leader HSA sequence, a cDNA coding for the prepro sequence of HSA, a synthetic DNA coding for the prepro sequence of HSA, by the codons frequently used in a selected host, a DNA coding for a chimeric leader peptide, a DNA coding for MF.alpha.1 prepro sequence, or a DNA coding for PH05 signal peptide, is used.