Abstract: A method relates to producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone, the method including the following steps (A) and (B): (A) a step of adding an acid to a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-containing aqueous solution to obtain a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone-containing aqueous solution; and (B) a step of obtaining a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone extract by bringing the 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone-containing aqueous solution obtained in step (A) into contact with an extraction solvent that is phase-separated from the solution.

Abstract: A method of producing an ?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid ester exemplified by an ?-hydromuconic acid ester from a carboxylic acid ester exemplified by a 3-hydroxyadipic acid ester or a 3-hydroxyadipic acid-3,6-lactone ester, in which the selectivity for the ?,?-unsaturated dicarboxylic acid ester can be increased by subjecting the carboxylic acid ester to a basic condition of pH 8.5 to less than 13 in an organic solvent or a mixed solvent of an organic solvent and water.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid, the method including the step of culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Serratia capable of producing ?-hydromuconic acid.

Abstract: A high-strength cold rolled steel sheet having mechanical characteristics having a tensile strength of not less than 780 MPa, a yield ratio of not more than 70%, and a small in-plane anisotropy of a tensile characteristicis obtained by hot rolling a steel slab comprising by mass % C: 0.07 to 0.12%, Si: not more than 0.7%, Mn: 2.2 to 2.8% and Ti and Nb: 0.02 to 0.08% in total, and cold rolling the sheet, followed by continuous annealing to form a steel texture comprised of ferrite having an area ratio of 40 to 80% with respect to the whole texture, and a second phase constituted by tempered martensite, fresh martensite and bainite, wherein the total area ratio of the bainite and the tempered martensite to the second phase is 50 to 80%, and the aspect ratio of the fresh martensite is in the range of 1.0 to 1.5.

Abstract: A wholly aromatic polyamide fiber has a reduced total fineness and a reduced single yarn fineness and is also excellent in quality and reinforcing property. The wholly aromatic polyamide fiber is characterized in that it has a single yarn fineness of 0. 4 dtex to 3. 5 dtex, a total fineness of 5 dtex to 30 dtex, a breaking strength of 15 cN/dtex or more, an initial tensile modulus of 500 cN/dtex to 750 cN/dtex, and the number of fibrils of less than 100/m.

Abstract: A method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid using a metabolic pathway of a microorganism is disclosed. The method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid includes the step of culturing at least one type of microorganism having a capacity to produce ?-hydromuconic acid, selected from the group consisting of microorganisms belonging to the genus Escherichia, microorganisms belonging to the genus Pseudomonas, microorganisms belonging to the genus Hafnia, microorganisms belonging to the genus Bacillus, microorganisms belonging to the genus Cupriavidus, microorganisms belonging to the genus Acinetobacter, microorganisms belonging to the genus Alcaligenes, microorganisms belonging to the genus Delftia, and microorganisms belonging to the genus Shimwellia.

Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength (TS) of 1,320 MPa or more and good workability. The high-strength steel sheet has a specific component composition and a steel microstructure containing, on an area-percentage basis with respect to the entire steel microstructure, 40% or more and less than 85% of a lower bainite, 5% or more and less than 40% martensite including tempered martensite, 10% or more and 30% or less retained austenite, and 10% or less (including 0%) polygonal ferrite, the retained austenite having an average C content of 0.60% by mass or more. Additionally, a Mn segregation value at a surface of the steel sheet is 0.8% or less, the ratio R/t of a limit bending radius (R) to a thickness (t) of the steel sheet is 2.0 or less, and tensile strength×total elongation of the steel sheet is 15,000 MPa % or more.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid, the method including the step of culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Serratia capable of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid.

Abstract: A high-strength steel sheet having a tensile strength of at least 780 MPa and excellent punchability comprises a ferrite phase, a martensite phase, and a bainite phase. The area ratio of the martensite phase is 20%-50%; the area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain diameter of less than 1.0 ?m in the martensite phase is 5%-30%; the area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain diameter of 1.0-4.0 ?m is 70%-95%; and the area ratio of crystal grains having an average crystal grain diameter of more than 4.0 ?m is less than 5%.

Abstract: Provided are a high-strength steel sheet having a specified chemical composition, in which a Mn-segregation degree in a region within 100 ?m from a surface thereof in a thickness direction is 1.5 or less, in a plane parallel to the surface of the steel sheet in a region within 100 ?m from the surface of the steel sheet in the thickness direction, the number of oxide-based inclusion grains having a grain long diameter of 5 ?m or more is 1000 or less/100 mm2, a proportion of the number of oxide-based inclusion grains having a chemical composition containing alumina of 50 mass % or more, silica of 20 mass % or less, and calcia of 40 mass % or less to the total number of oxide-based inclusions having a grain long diameter of 5 ?m or more is 80% or more, a specified metallographic structure, and a TS of 980 MPa or more, a high-strength galvanized steel sheet, and a manufacturing method thereof.

Abstract: A method of producing 3-oxoadipic acid from an aliphatic compound easily utilizable by a microorganism, such as a saccharide, by utilization of a metabolic pathway of the microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of producing a nitrile from a primary amide, characterized in that the primary amide is subjected to a dehydration reaction in a supercritical fluid in the presence of an acid catalyst. The present invention achieves the object of reducing the corrosion of a reactor and the thermal decomposition of raw materials, as well as provides the effect of improving the reaction rate and nitrile selectivity.

Abstract: A novel method of producing 3-hydroxyadipic acid using a metabolic pathway of a microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: A method of producing 3-oxoadipic acid from an aliphatic compound easily utilizable by a microorganism, such as a saccharide, by utilization of a metabolic pathway of the microorganism is disclosed.

Abstract: Lactic acid is obtained by a method including (A) a step of continuous fermentation wherein a fermentation culture medium of a microorganism having an ability of lactic acid fermentation is filtered through a porous membrane having an average pore size of not less than 0.01 ?m and less than 1 ?m with a transmembrane pressure difference within the range of 0.1 to 20 kPa, and the permeate is collected, while retaining the non-permeated liquid in or returning the non-permeated liquid to the culture, and adding a fermentation feedstock to the culture; (B) a step of filtering the permeate obtained in Step (A) through a nanofiltration membrane; and (C) a step of distilling the permeate obtained in Step (B) under a pressure of not less than 1 Pa and not more than atmospheric pressure, at 25° C. to 200° C. to recover lactic acid.

Abstract: Disclosed is a genetically modified microorganism into which a nucleic acid encoding an enzyme that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA is introduced. In the genetically modified microorganism, a nucleic acid encoding any one of the polypeptides described in (a) to (c) below is introduced or expression of the polypeptide is enhanced: (a) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence represented by any one of SEQ ID NOs: 1 to 6 and 213, (b) a polypeptide composed of the same amino acid sequence as any one of the amino acid sequences, except that one or several amino acids are substituted, deleted, inserted, and/or added, and having enzymatic activity that catalyzes a reaction to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA, and (c) a polypeptide composed of an amino acid sequence with a sequence identity of not less than 70% to any one of the amino acid sequences and having activity to reduce 3-oxoadipyl-CoA to 3-hydroxyadipyl-CoA.

Abstract: A diol composition includes 1) 95% by weight or more of a diol, the diol being selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol, 1,2-propanediol, 1,3-butanediol, 1,4-butanediol and 2,3-butanediol, and 2) impurities derived from biomass in an amount sufficient to cause the diol composition to have an electrical conductivity of 0.6 to 30 mS/m as determined by measuring electrical conductivity as an aqueous diol composition solution at 23° C. with a diol composition concentration of 16.67% and multiplying the measure conductivity by 6.

Abstract: Provided are a high-strength steel sheet and a method for manufacturing the steel sheet. The high-strength steel sheet has a specified chemical composition with the balance being Fe and inevitable impurities, a microstructure including, in terms of area ratio, 30% or more of a ferrite phase, 40% to 65% of a bainite phase and/or a martensite phase, and 5% or less of cementite, in which, in a surface layer that is a region within 50 ?m from the surface in the thickness direction, the area ratio of a ferrite phase is 40% to 55% and the total area ratio of a bainite phase having a grain diameter of more than 5 ?m and/or a martensite phase having a grain diameter of more than 5 ?m is 20% or less, and a tensile strength is 980 MPa or more.

Abstract: Provided is a method of producing ?-hydromuconic acid, the method including the step of culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Serratia capable of producing ?-hydromuconic acid.

Abstract: Provided are a cold-rolled steel sheet which can preferably be used for manufacturing a high-strength galvanized steel sheet and methods for manufacturing the steel sheets. The cold-rolled steel sheet has a specified chemical composition, in which the Mn concentration in a surface layer of the steel sheet satisfies relational expression (1) and relational expression (2) below. 8?(Cp/Cc)×Mn . . . (1) (Cmin/Cc)×Mn?2.5 . . . (2) where Cp: maximum Mn concentration in a region within 0.5 ?m of the surface of a steel sheet in the thickness direction; Cc: average Mn concentration in a region from a position located 5 ?m from a surface of a steel sheet in the thickness direction to a position located 5 ?m from an opposite surface in the thickness direction; Cmin: minimum Mn concentration in a region from 0.5 ?m to 5 ?m from the surface of a steel sheet in the thickness direction; and Mn: Mn content (mass %).