Abstract: Disclosed is a transglutaminase having excellent stability. Also disclosed is a process for producing the transglutaminase. Specifically disclosed is a stabilized transglutaminase, which has such a structure in which a pro-sequence peptide of transglutaminase is bound to a mature transglutaminase. Also specifically disclosed is a process for producing stabilized transglutaminase, which includes the steps of: culturing a microorganism capable of producing transglutaminase under the conditions where transglutaminase can be produced; and separating and collecting matured transglutaminase having a pro-sequence peptide bound thereto from a culture medium.

Abstract: It is intended to provide novel compositions usable in improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage made from grapes typified by wine. Namely, a composition usable in improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage made from grapes which contains the culture of a strain belonging to a genus Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Talaromyces, Mortierella, Cryptococcus, Microbacterium, Corynebacterium or Actinoplanes and being capable of producing diglycosidase.

Abstract: A vane pump includes a motor, a rotor rotated by the motor, a first casing having a pump chamber accommodating the rotor and a first flat part in a periphery of an opening of the pump chamber, a second casing having a second flat part joined to the first flat part to gas-tightly or liquid-tightly close the opening of the pump chamber, an elastic sheet disposed between the second casing and the motor, and a screw penetrating the first casing, the second casing and the elastic sheet. The screw is configured to fasten and join the first casing, the second casing and the elastic sheet to the motor.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a beer or beer-like beverage having mellowness, a special flavor and a good taste. The beer or beer-like beverage can be produced by allowing a protein deamidase to act on at least a part of a raw material during the production process.

Abstract: A vane pump includes a casing having a cylindrical inner bore and a rotor disposed in the inner bore with an eccentric relation thereto, forming a circular pump chamber between the rotor and the inner bore. The circular pump chamber is divided by vanes held in the rotor into pump chambers changing their capacities according to rotation of the rotor. A gravity center of the rotor is shifted from the rotational center of the rotor by removing or adding some weight, so that an imbalanced centrifugal force is applied to the rotor. The driving shaft and the rotor are tightly coupled to each other by the imbalanced centrifugal force even if there is a small gap or dimensional errors therebetween.

Abstract: A pump apparatus includes a housing. A rotor is eccentrically accommodated in the housing. A motor rotates the rotor in the housing. A vane is substantially radially movable relative to the rotor. The vane has a radially outer end that is slidable relative to an inner circumferential periphery of the housing as the rotor and the vane rotates for increasing or decreasing pressure of gas. A pressure sensor detects pressure of the gas. A control unit that evaluates whether an adherence abnormality, in which the vane adheres to the rotor, occurs in accordance with both a detection signal of the pressure sensor and electricity supplied to the motor when the motor rotates the rotor. When the control unit determines the adherence abnormality to be caused, the control unit operates the motor to remove the vane from the rotor.

Abstract: A vane pump includes a motor arrangement, a rotor, a casing and bolts. The motor arrangement includes a mount. The rotor includes vanes and is rotated by the motor arrangement. The casing has opposed first and second end surfaces and makes flat surface contact with the mount at the second end surface thereof. The casing includes a pump chamber, receiving through holes and second end side recesses. The pump chamber receives the rotor. The receiving through holes penetrate through the casing. The second end side recesses are recessed in the second end surface of the casing. The second end side recesses are spaced away from the receiving through holes. Each bolt is received through a corresponding one of the receiving through holes of the casing, and each bolt is threadably engaged with the mount to connect the casing to the mount.

Abstract: A fuel vapor leakage check module has a canister port which is provided so that the port can be opened to the air and is connected to the interior of a fuel tank through a canister for absorbing fuel vapor produced in the fuel tank. A pump depressurizes or pressurizes the interior of the fuel tank through the canister port. A connecting passage which is coaxially provided in the canister port, is connected to the canister port. The connecting passage is depressurized or pressurized by the pump. A standard orifice is coaxially provided in the connecting passage and reduces the passage area of the connecting passage.

Abstract: Fermented malt beverages with reinforced filling taste and fullness of mouthfeel are manufactured by addition of ?-glucosidase prior to a heat treatment in a wort production process in the course of manufacturing fermented malt beverages Production of acetic acid can be reduced by addition of ?-glucosidase in the fermentation process in the high gravity brewing of beer. Further, low-calorie beers are manufactured by the method in which ?-glucosidase is added in the fermentation process in brewing of beer and thereby real fermentation degree is enhanced.

Abstract: A fuel vapor leak check module has a pump for generating a pressure gradient between an inside and an outside of a fuel tank. The pump is driven by a motor which has driving shaft supported by a bearing. A lubricant is provided between the driving shaft and the bearing. When the pump is operated, a pressure gradient between a pump-side space and a motor-side space is generated whereby a lubricant is introduced from one of the pump-side space and the motor-side space to another, so that the introduced lubricant deteriorates the pump performance or motor performance. To avoid such a situation, communication passage is provided which communicates the motor-side space and the pump-side space. The inner pressure of the motor-side space becomes equal to that of the pump-side space.

Abstract: A vane pump includes a casing having a cylindrical inner bore and a rotor disposed in the inner bore with an eccentric relation thereto, forming a circular pump chamber between the rotor and the inner bore. The circular pump chamber is divided by vanes held in the rotor into pump chambers changing their capacities according to rotation of the rotor. A gravity center of the rotor is shifted from the rotational center of the rotor by removing or adding some weight, so that an imbalanced centrifugal force is applied to the rotor. The driving shaft and the rotor are tightly coupled to each other by the imbalanced centrifugal force even if there is a small gap or dimensional errors therebetween.

Abstract: It is intended to provide novel compositions usable in improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage made from grapes typified by wine. Namely, a composition usable in improving the flavor of an alcoholic beverage made from grapes which contains the culture of a strain belonging to a genus Aspergillus, Penicillium, Rhizopus, Rhizomucor, Talaromyces, Mortierella, Cryptococcus, Microbacterium, Corynebacterium or Actinoplanes and being capable of producing diglycosidase.

Abstract: A vane pump includes a motor arrangement, a rotor, a casing and bolts. The motor arrangement includes a mount. The rotor includes vanes and is rotated by the motor arrangement. The casing has opposed first and second end surfaces and makes flat surface contact with the mount at the second end surface thereof. The casing includes a pump chamber, receiving through holes and second end side recesses. The pump chamber receives the rotor. The receiving through holes penetrate through the casing. The second end side recesses are recessed in the second end surface of the casing. The second end side recesses are spaced away from the receiving through holes. Each bolt is received through a corresponding one of the receiving through holes of the casing, and each bolt is threadably engaged with the mount to connect the casing to the mount.

Abstract: A fuel vapor leak check module has a pump for generating a pressure gradient between an inside and an outside of a fuel tank. The pump is driven by a motor which has driving shaft supported by a bearing. A lubricant is provided between the driving shaft and the bearing. When the pump is operated, a pressure gradient between a pump-side space and a motor-side space is generated whereby a lubricant is introduced from one of the pump-side space and the motor-side space to another, so that the introduced lubricant deteriorates the pump performance or motor performance. To avoid such a situation, communication passage is provided which communicates the motor-side space and the pump-side space. The inner pressure of the motor-side space becomes equal to that of the pump-side space.

Abstract: A fuel vapor leakage check module has a canister port which is provided so that the port can be opened to the air and is connected to the interior of a fuel tank through a canister for absorbing fuel vapor produced in the fuel tank. A pump depressurizes or pressurizes the interior of the fuel tank through the canister port. A connecting passage which is coaxially provided in the canister port, is connected to the canister port. The connecting passage is depressurized or pressurized by the pump. A standard orifice is coaxially provided in the connecting passage and reduces the passage area of the connecting passage.

Abstract: An accelerator device includes a bearing portion, an accelerator pedal having a cam with a cam shaft that is supported by the bearing portion to be turned forward and reversely by an action of a treading force, a follower that abuts against a cam surface of the cam when a turning position of the accelerator pedal is in a kickdown region, a bias device that generates a biasing force to press the follower against the cam surface, and a turning position sensor that detects a turning position of the accelerator pedal. Further, the biasing force of the bias device is set to act on the follower substantially toward a center of the cam shaft. Thus, the accelerator device can accurately detects a turning position of an accelerator pedal while giving a kickdown feeling to a driver.

Abstract: Fermented malt beverages with reinforced filling taste and fullness of mouthfeel are manufactured by addition of &agr;-glucosidase prior to a heat treatment in a wort production process in the course of manufacturing fermented malt beverages

Abstract: A rotating speed of the motor 4 is reduced at a high reduction ratio by using a reduction gear (the first and the second reduction gear), and the unlatch mechanism for conducting unlatch operation of the door lock 1 and the closer mechanism for conducting closer operation of the door lock 1 are separated from each other by the normal and the reverse rotating direction of the second reduction gear. Due to the foregoing, even in the middle of a closing operation conducted by the reverse rotation of the second reduction gear, when the closing operation is stopped and then the motor 4 is normally rotated, it is possible to switch from the stopping position of the closing operation to unlatch operation.

Abstract: A rotating speed of the motor 4 is reduced at a high reduction ratio by using a reduction gear (the first and the second reduction gear), and the unlatch mechanism for conducting unlatch operation of the door lock 1 and the closer mechanism for conducting closer operation of the door lock 1 are separated from each other by the normal and the reverse rotating direction of the second reduction gear. Due to the foregoing, even in the middle of a closing operation conducted by the reverse rotation of the second reduction gear, when the closing operation is stopped and then the motor 4 is normally rotated, it is possible to switch from the stopping position of the closing operation to unlatch operation.

Abstract: The present invention provides a novel ascorbate oxidase (ASOD) which catalyzes oxidation reaction of L-ascorbic acid with molecular oxygen to form L-dehydroascorbic acid and hydrogen peroxide, a process for producing the ascorbate oxidase comprising using a microorganism belonging to the genus Eupenicillium, a gene encoding ASOD, a transformant containing such a gene, a process for producing ASOD using such a transformant, and a reagent composition comprising ASOD, such as a reagent composition for examination, a food additive, and a reagent composition in the fields of food and clinical examination. The ascorbate oxidase has excellent stability particularly in a liquid state.