Abstract: A method includes supplying a gas containing acrolein to a fixed bed reactor including a reaction tube to produce acrylic acid by vapor phase catalytic oxidation of acrolein. The reaction tube is packed with catalysts having different activities in such a way that catalyst layers are formed in a tube axis direction. A catalyst X having the highest activity among the catalysts contained in all the catalyst layers is placed in the whole or a part of a section up to 30% of a length of all the catalyst layers from a rearmost portion on a gas outlet side toward a gas inlet side. A catalytically active component x in the catalyst X has Mo, V, and optionally Cu. When Cu is included, its amount is 0.8 mol or less per 12 mol of Mo. A specific surface area of the catalytically active component x is 15-40 m2/g.

Abstract: A reforming catalyst for partial oxidation to reform hydrocarbon compound including a sulfur-containing compound includes platinum and rhodium. Even in reforming a hydrocarbon compound including a sulfur-containing compound such as, for example, a town gas, the catalyst effectively prevents poisoning and elongates catalyst life.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for producing insulin secreting cells to be used in cell transplantation therapy of diabetes, by induction from pancreatic acinar cells in culture vessels. The method comprises culturing pancreatic acinar cells isolated from a mammal in a medium containing a growth factor, preferably epidermal growth factor, fibroblast growth factor and/or hepatocyte growth factor, to induce insulin secreting cells.

Abstract: A partial oxidation catalyst of hydrocarbons; comprising a monolith support carrying a catalyst component, the catalyst component comprising a refractory inorganic oxide carrying an element of platinum group (a) and a refractory inorganic oxide (b).

Abstract: A reforming catalyst for partial oxidation to reform hydrocarbon compound including a sulfur-containing compound includes platinum and rhodium. Even in reforming a hydrocarbon compound including a sulfur-containing compound such as, for example, a town gas, the catalyst effectively prevents poisoning and elongates catalyst life.

Abstract: What is described is a method for preparation of insulin-producing cells from non-insulin-producing cells. Mammalian fetal hepatocytes or hepatic progenitor cells are used ad the non-insulin-producing cells, and the method comprises culturing the mammalian fetal hepatocytes or the hepatic progenitor cells with 1-50 mmol/L of nicotinamide and concurrently bringing about expression of the PDX-1 gene or the NeuroD gene in the mammalian fetal hepatocytes.

Abstract: The invented process produces phthalic anhydride through gas-phase catalytic oxidation of ortho-xylene and/or naphthalene with an oxygen-containing gas using one or more fixed bed reactors. In the process, the gas-phase catalytic oxidation process is performed in three or more individual catalytic layers, and the conversion rates of ortho-xylene and/or naphthalene in the individual layers are controlled within specific ranges. The process is capable of providing phthalic anhydride in a high yield, is capable of minimizing deterioration of catalysts with time, and is capable of continuously stably producing phthalic anhydride in safety, even when a high concentration material gas is fed.

Abstract: This invention relates to a method for producing a partially oxidized organic compound, e.g., an unsaturated aldehyde/carboxylic acid having three or more carbon atoms, or an organic acid anhydride/nitrile compound having four or more carbon atoms. This method requires a catalyst prepared by treating a carrier in such a manner that water used in the treatment achieves specific resistance.

Abstract: A carrier containing silicon carbide, inorganic bonding component, and at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of a niobium oxide, an antimony oxide, and a tungsten oxide carries at least one oxide selected from the group consisting of a vanadium oxide and a molybdenum oxide as catalytically active component. An inexpensive catalyst for catalytic oxidation use can be thus offered that does not change its properties over a period of time, that boasts stable catalytic activity over a period of time, and that is suitable for, e.g., manufacture of an acid anhydride and a nitrile compound by conducting a catalytic gas-phase oxidation reaction (partial oxidation reaction) on a hydrocarbon.

Abstract: A catalyst for obtaining pyromellitic anhydride at a high raw material gas concentration with high yield and a method for the production of pyromellitic anhydride are provided. The catalyst containing vanadium and silver as essential component elements for catalyst and having an atomic ratio of silver to vanadium in the range of from 0.001 to 0.2 allows efficient production of pyromellitic anhydride by the vapor-phase oxidation of a tetraalkylbenzene with a molecular oxygen-containing gas. The method of this invention accomplishes the production of pyromellitic anhydride by the use of the catalyst.

Abstract: A method for producing efficiently on a commercial scale pyromellitic anhydride having high purity and suffering only sparing coloration in a high yield from a raw material of high concentration is provided. By the use of a multilayer catalyst formed by packing on the reaction gas outlet side a first catalyst containing V and Mo and/or W and having an atomic ratio of Mo and/or W to V in the range of from 0.01 to 2, on the raw material mixed gas inlet side a second catalyst containing V, Mo and/or W and having an atomic ratio of Mo and/or W to V smaller than the atomic ratio of the first catalyst, and/or a third catalyst containing V and an alkali metal and having an atomic ratio of the alkali metal to V in the range of from 0.2 to 2.5, pyromellitic anhydride is produced by the vapor-phase oxidation of a tetraalkyl benzene with a molecular oxygen-containing gas.

Abstract: The invention relates to a catalyst for producing phthalic anhydride by gas phase catalytic oxidation of o-xylene and/or naphthalene with molecular oxygen or gas containing molecular oxygen and, to a process for producing phthalic anhydride by using said catalyst. The catalyst is made by supporting, on a heat-resistant inorganic carrier, a catalytic active substance which comprises: vanadium oxide; anatase type titanium dioxide having specific surface area of 10 to 60 m.sup.2 /g; niobium; at least one element selected from potassium, cesium, rubidium and thallium; phosphorus; and antimony. The catalytic active substance is prepared by using a five-valent antimony compound as an antimony source. The process for producing phthalic anhydride comprises use of said catalyst.

Abstract: The production of phthalic anhydride by the catalytic vapor-phase oxidation of a mixture of ortho-xylene and naphthalene is accomplished advantageously by a method which comprises packing in a reaction vessel, as a former-stage catalyst, a catalyst produced by supporting on an inactive carrier a catalytic substance composed of vanadium oxide and a specific anatase type titanium dioxide, Nb, P, Sb, and at least one component selected from the group consisting of K, Cs, Rb, and Tl as oxide and, as a latter-stage catalyst, a catalyst similar to the former-stage catalyst excepting the amount of the at least one component selected from among K, Cs, Rb, and Tl is in the range between 17 and 63% by weight as an oxide based on the amount of the same component used in the former-stage catalyst, both in specified bed heights feeding to this reaction vessel the mixture of ortho-xylene and naphthalene and a molecular oxygen-containing gas at a temperature in the range between 300.degree. and 450 .degree. C.

Abstract: The invention presents catalysts for producing phthalic anhydride by vapor phase catalytic oxidation of orthoxylene and/or naphthalene with molecular oxygen or gas containing molecular oxygen. The catalyst is prepared by supporting a catalytic active substance comprising 1 to 20 parts by weight (hereinafter abbreviated "parts") of vanadium oxide as V.sub.2 O.sub.3, 99 to 80 parts of anatase type titanium dioxide with specific surface area of 10 to 60 m.sup.2 /g as TiO.sub.2 and per 100 parts of the sum of these two ingredients, 0.05 to 1.2 parts of at least one element selected from potassium, cesium, rubidium and thallium as oxide, and 0.05 to 2 parts of silver as Ag.sub.2 O on a heat resistant inorganic carrier. The catalyst may also contain, per 100 parts in total of vanadium oxide and titanium dioxide, 0 to 1 part of niobium as Nb.sub.2 O.sub.5, 0 to 1.2 parts of phosphorus as P.sub.2 O.sub.3, and 0 to 5 parts of antimony as Sb.sub.2 O.sub.