Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid koji to be used in the production of a fermented food or drink, particularly a liquid koji having glucoamylase and acid-stable ?-amylase with high enzymatic activities, which can be used in the brewing of shochu. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a liquid koji to be used in production of a fermented food or drink, comprising: cultivating a koji mold in a liquid medium that contains, as a raw material, a substance selected from the group consisting of a cereal having a surface covered with a husk; a cereal having a surface from which only a husk (e.g., a chaff) is removed; an unprocessed bean or tuber having a surface covered with a hull; and amaranthus and/or quinoa.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of adjusting productivity of enzymes, in particular, amylolytic enzymes, plant fiber degradation enzymes and proteolytic enzymes in a filamentous fungus culture product, by controlling releasing rate of nutrients from the culture raw material into the culture system when a filamentous fungus culture product is produced by culturing filamentous fungi in liquid medium containing as the culture raw material at least one selected from the group consisting of cereals, beans, tubers, amaranthus and quinoa.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of mass-producing recombinant protein by the liquid culture method with koji molds as host. According to the present invention, it is provided a method of producing recombinant protein by using the recombinant koji molds which are obtained by transforming koji molds as host comprising: culturing the recombinant koji molds in a liquid medium which contains as culture raw material at least one selected from the group consisting of the cereal of which surface is entirely or partly covered with at least husks, the bean and/or the tuber of which surface is covered with hulls and the amaranthus and/or the quinoa without pre-treatment such as grinding or crushing; and collecting the recombinant protein from the culture product.

Abstract: A plasma processing device according to the present invention includes a plasma processing chamber consisting of a vacuum container, a pair of substrate holders standing opposite each other in the plasma processing chamber, a plurality of first reaction gas tubes provided between the two substrate holders, and a plurality of second reaction gas tubes provided between the plurality of first reaction gas tubes and each of the two substrate holders. The first reaction gas tubes, which are made of an electrically conductive material, are electrically connected to a first radio-frequency power source or second radio-frequency power source. The first reaction gas tubes double as a radio-frequency antenna, while the second reaction gas tubes double as an electrode.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing liquid koji having enhanced activity of a plant fiber degradation enzyme using liquid medium without using an expensive plant fiber degradation enzyme preparation and a recombinant bacterium and methods of producing liquid koji dry product and industrial alcohol (ethanol) using the liquid koji.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing liquid koji having high enzymatic activity by optimizing composition of liquid medium for the liquid koji. In particular, the present invention provides a method of producing liquid koji having enhanced enzymatic activity, the method comprising culturing white koji molds and/or black koji molds in liquid medium containing a nitrogen source by using the cereal of which surface is entirely or partly covered with husks as culture raw material.

Abstract: It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of adjusting productivity of enzymes, in particular, amylolytic enzymes, plant fiber degradation enzymes and proteolytic enzymes in a filamentous fungus culture product, by controlling releasing rate of nutrients from the culture raw material into the culture system when a filamentous fungus culture product is produced by culturing filamentous fungi in liquid medium containing as the culture raw material at least one selected from the group consisting of cereals, beans, tubers, amaranthus and quinoa.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of mass-producing recombinant protein by the liquid culture method with koji molds as host. According to the present invention, it is provided a method of producing recombinant protein by using the recombinant koji molds which are obtained by transforming koji molds as host comprising: culturing the recombinant koji molds in a liquid medium which contains as culture raw material at least one selected from the group consisting of the cereal of which surface is entirely or partly covered with at least husks, the bean and/or the tuber of which surface is covered with hulls and the amaranthus and/or the quinoa without pre-treatment such as grinding or crushing; and collecting the recombinant protein from the culture product.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method of producing liquid koji having enhanced activity of a plant fiber degradation enzyme using liquid medium without using an expensive plant fiber degradation enzyme preparation and a recombinant bacterium and methods of producing liquid koji dry product and industrial alcohol (ethanol) using the liquid koji.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid koji to be used in the production of a fermented food or drink, particularly a liquid koji having glucoamylase and acid-stable ?-amylase with high enzymatic activities, which can be used in the brewing of shochu. The present invention provides a method of manufacturing a liquid koji to be used in production of a fermented food or drink, comprising: cultivating a koji mold in a liquid medium that contains, as a raw material, a substance selected from the group consisting of a cereal having a surface covered with a husk; a cereal having a surface from which only a husk (e.g., a chaff) is removed; an unprocessed bean or tuber having a surface covered with a hull; and amaranthus and/or quinoa.

Abstract: A method for carrying out a reaction of one substance capable of being activated by a catalyst with another substance capable of reacting with said one substance activated, characterized in that the substance capable of being activated is activated by passing the substance through a diaphragm type catalyst and the reaction is thus performed in one reaction step; a method for producing an aromatic alcohol utilizing the above method; and a reaction apparatus suitable for these reactions. In the method, one substance is activated by passing through a diaphragm type catalyst and an objective reaction is carried out by using the activated substance, and the reaction can be performed in one reaction step and with safety. Moreover, the contact of the above activated substance with a compound to be reacted therewith can be freely controlled, and therefore, over-reaction can be prevented and an objective product can be produced in high yield.

Abstract: Light having polarization is irradiated onto an article, and then quality of the article is diagnosed using a pre-input correlation function between quality of the article and a variation of polarization of the light reflected from the article. Further, the quality of the article is diagnosed by measuring a reflection absorbance difference or a reflection absorbance ration of light from the article between two wavelenghts, and by measuring a depolarization degree of polarized light of the reflected light from the surface of the article. The quality of the article can be non-destructively diagnosed using a simple system. Further, defects can be identified of factor-by-factor basis.

Abstract: A nondestructive diagnostic method and apparatus can evaluate the progress of deterioration of insulating material used in electric apparatuses in a wide-range and quantitatively.

Abstract: A method for carrying out a reaction of one substance capable of being activated by a catalyst with another substance capable of reacting with said one substance activated, characterized in that the substance capable of being activated is activated by passing the substance through a diaphragm type catalyst and the reaction is thus performed in one reaction step; a method for producing an aromatic alcohol utilizing the above method; and a reaction apparatus suitable for these reactions. In the method, one substance is activated by passing through a diaphragm type catalyst and an objective reaction is carried out by using the activated substance, and the reaction can be performed in one reaction step and with safety. Moreover, the contact of the above activated substance with a compound to be reacted therewith can be freely controlled, and therefore, over-reaction can be prevented and an objective product can be produced in high yield.

Abstract: Light having polarization is irradiated onto an article, and a variation of polarization of the reflected light from the article, and then quality of the article is diagnosed using a pre-input correlation function between quality of the article and a variation of polarization.

Abstract: A zeolite material obtained by modifying a crystalline aluminosilicate having the following empirical formula:xM.sub.2 O.yM'O.Al.sub.2 O.sub.3.zSiO.sub.2.nH.sub.2 Owherein M is an exchangeable cation selected from the group consisting of alkali metals, hydrogen and mixtures thereof, M' is an alkaline earth metal, x is between 0 and 1.5, y is between 0.2 and 40, z is between 50 and 3000 and n is between 0 and 40 and wherein x+y is at least 1.2, with an alkaline earth metal compound. The modifying may be by impregnation or by mere mixing. The zeolite material is useful as catalyst for converting methanol and/or dimethyl ether into lower olefins.

Abstract: A workpiece is urged against a chuck by a press plate supported by one end of a piston rod through a ball bearing. A rear end of a cylinder for the piston rod is swingably supported by a ball interposed between the rear surface of the cylinder and a stationary plate. Bolts for securing the cylinder to the stationary plate are formed with tapered portions mating with the tapered openings of bushings fitted to the supporting plate so as to selectively permit swinging motion of the cylinder.