Abstract: Provided are a multilayer sheet superior in weather resistance, heat resistance, and moisture proofness and also favorable in interlayer adhesiveness, and a back sheet for solar cells and a solar cell module prepared by using the same. The multilayer sheet 10 is prepared by laminating a polyolefin-based resin layer 1 having a melt flow rate, as determined by the method A specified in JIS K7210, of 0.5 to 25 g/10 minutes at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg and a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin layer 2 having a melt flow rate, as determined by the method A specified in JIS K7210, of 0.5 to 25 g/10 minutes at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg, via an adhesion resin layer 3 of a conjugated diene-based polymer, a conjugated diene-based copolymer, or the hydride thereof having a melt flow rate, as determined by the method A specified in JIS K7210, of 0.1 to 50 g/10 minutes at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg.

Abstract: Provided are a multilayer sheet, a backsheet for solar cell, and a solar cell module superior in weather resistance, heat resistance, moisture resistance, flame resistance, and also interlayer adhesion. A multilayer sheet 10, comprising a first resin layer 1 of a polyphenylene ether-containing resin composition, a second resin layer 2 of a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin composition, and an adhesion resin layer 3, which is placed between the first and second resin layers, of one or more resins selected from acrylic resins and polymers having a structural unit derived from conjugated diene, wherein the adhesion resin layer 3 is fused both to the first and second resin layers 1 and 2. In addition, a backsheet comprising the multilayer sheet 10 is placed on and bonded to the non-light-receiving surface of a solar cell module, to give a solar cell module.

Abstract: An electronic receipt system includes a terminal device, a first memory unit which a first user has, and a second memory unit which a second user who is a trading partner of the first user has. The terminal device includes biometric authentication obtaining means to obtain biometric authentication information of the first user and biometric authentication information of the second user; electronic tally generating means to generate electronic tallies based on the biometric authentication information of the both users; electronic receipt generating means to generate electronic receipts including transaction information of the first user and the second user, the electronic receipts including a first electronic receipt having one of the electronic tallies and a second electronic receipt having another of the relevant electronic tallies; means to store the first electronic receipt in the first memory unit; and means to make the second electronic receipt to be stored in the second memory unit.

Abstract: Provided are a multilayer sheet superior in weather resistance, heat resistance, and moisture proofness and also favorable in interlayer adhesiveness, and a back sheet for solar cells and a solar cell module prepared by using the same. The multilayer sheet 10 is prepared by laminating a polyolefin-based resin layer 1 having a melt flow rate, as determined by the method A specified in JIS K7210, of 0.5 to 25 g/10 minutes at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg and a polyvinylidene fluoride-based resin layer 2 having a melt flow rate, as determined by the method A specified in JIS K7210, of 0.5 to 25 g/10 minutes at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg, via an adhesion resin layer 3 of a conjugated diene-based polymer, a conjugated diene-based copolymer, or the hydride thereof having a melt flow rate, as determined by the method A specified in JIS K7210, of 0.1 to 50 g/10 minutes at 230° C. under a load of 2.16 kg.

Abstract: Provided is a polyvinylidene fluoride resin composition that has good inorganic pigment dispersivity. Based on 100 parts by mass of a resin component containing two types of polyvinylidene fluorides having different forms or different melt flow characteristics in a total amount of 50 to 95% by mass and polymethyl methacrylate in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass, 7 to 40 parts by mass of a white inorganic pigment and 0.01 to 7 parts by mass of an inorganic pigment for toning are mixed to produce the resin composition. At that time, at least one of the two types of polyvinylidene fluorides to be used has an MFR (230° C., 3.8 kg load) of 3 to 35 g/10 min and the polymethyl methacrylate to be used has an MFR (230° C., 10 kg load) of 2 to 20 g/10 min.

Abstract: Provided are a polyvinylidene fluoride resin composition that has good inorganic pigment dispersivity and that is unlikely to cause a defect due to poor dispersion and has practical mechanical strength characteristics in a film to be formed, and a film, a back sheet, and a solar cell module. Based on 100 parts by mass of a resin component containing two types of polyvinylidene fluorides having different forms or different melt flow characteristics in a total amount of 50 to 95% by mass and polymethyl methacrylate in an amount of 5 to 50% by mass, 7 to 40 parts by mass of a white inorganic pigment and 0.01 to 7 parts by mass of an inorganic pigment for toning are mixed to produce the resin composition. At that time, at least one of the two types of polyvinylidene fluorides to be used has an MFR (230° C., 3.8 kg load) of 3 to 35 g/10 min and the polymethyl methacrylate to be used has an MFR (230° C., 10 kg load) of 2 to 20 g/10 min.

Abstract: Provided are a polyvinyl acetal sheet which is excellent in adhesion to glass, easy in control of adhesion, little colored, highly transparent and excellent in penetration resistance even under high-temperature conditions when the sheet is used for laminated glass or the like, a process for its production and a process for producing polyvinyl acetal particles used for the sheet. The polyvinyl acetal sheet is produced by molding polyvinyl acetal particles into a sheet with a degree of acetalization of from 75.0 to 84.0 mass % and with a porosity of from 60 to 85%. The polyvinyl acetal particles are preferably produced by an acetalization reaction of 100 parts by mass of a polyvinyl alcohol and from 40 to 75 parts by mass of an aldehyde in the presence of an acid catalyst at a reaction temperature of from 20 to 60° C.

Abstract: An aggregate with small fiber deterioration even after being held under compression under heating at about 1,000° C. for a long term, and a holding material of e.g. a catalyst carrier of a catalyst converter or a honeycomb body of DPE employing it, are provided. An inorganic short fiber aggregate for a holding material, which is an aggregate of inorganic short fibers having a chemical composition of from 74 to 86 mass % of an alumina component and from 26 to 14 mass % of a silica component and having a mineral composition of from 15 to 60 mass % of mullite, wherein the average fiber diameter of the aggregate is from 2 to 8 ?m, at least 99% (including 100%) of the number of the inorganic short fibers consists of fibers having fiber diameters of from 1.5 to 15 ?m, and the specific surface area is at most 10 m2/g.

Abstract: An aggregate with small fiber deterioration even after being held under compression under heating at about 1,000° C. for a long term, and a holding material of e.g. a catalyst carrier of a catalyst converter or a honeycomb body of DPE employing it, are provided. An inorganic short fiber aggregate for a holding material, which is an aggregate of inorganic short fibers having a chemical composition of from 74 to 86 mass % of an alumina component and from 26 to 14 mass % of a silica component and having a mineral composition of from 15 to 60 mass % of mullite, wherein the average fiber diameter of the aggregate is from 2 to 8 ?m, at least 99% (including 100%) of the number of the inorganic short fibers consists of fibers having fiber diameters of from 1.5 to 15 ?m, and the specific surface area is at most 10 m2/g.

Abstract: A method of indirect agglutination immunoassay includes, allowing particles of a reagent for immunoassay to precipitate in bottoms of at least one well, inclining the well at a specified angle to form a precipitation pattern due to a flow of the particles in the bottom of the well due to a flow of the particles, relatively moving the well and a sensor in the direction of substantially vertical to a flow direction of the formed precipitation pattern, measuring the lengths of the formed precipitation pattern at a plurality of sections within the scope of the well, and judging the occurrence of an immunoreaction based on the values of the measured length of the precipitation patterns.

Abstract: An agglutination immunoassay method and apparatus therefor in which there are conducted the steps of contacting, in a container, a test sample suspected of containing a desired analyte and a reagent comprising sensitized magnetic-material containing particles capable of reacting with and binding to a desired analyte; precipitating the particles on the bottom of the container by the application of magnetic force; allowing the container to stand at an inclination so as to cause the particles to flow along the bottom of the container to form a developed pattern of the particles; obtaining a representative length of the developed pattern of the particles by an imaging device; and detecting the presence or absence of an immune reaction from the representative length of the pattern of the particles which has flowed from the bottom of the container, thereby detecting the presence or absence of the desired analyte in the test sample.

Abstract: An agglutination immunoassay method and apparatus therefor in which there are conducted the steps of contacting, in a container, a test sample suspected of containing a desired analyte and a reagent comprising sensitized magnetic-material containing particles capable of reacting with and binding to a desired analyte; precipitating the particles on the bottom of the container by the application of magnetic force; allowing the container to stand at an inclination so as to cause the particles to flow along the bottom of the container to form a developed pattern of the particles; obtaining a representative length of the developed pattern of the particles by an imaging device; and detecting the presence or absence of an immune reaction from the representative length of the pattern of the particles which has flowed from the bottom of the container, thereby detecting the presence or absence of the desired analyte in the test sample.

Abstract: A shell-and-tube apparatus, more specifically, a shell-and-tube reactor, which includes a vessel, at least one intermediate tube plate sectioning the interior of the vessel into at least two compartments having different temperatures, a number of heat transferring tubes penetrating the intermediate tube plate or plates, and a fluid passing through the tubes which is heated or cooled by a heat transfer medium surrounding the tubes. At least one insulation plate or plates are provided on one or both sides of the intermediate tube plate so that the space between the intermediate tube plate or plates and, if two or more insulation plates are used, the space or spaces between the insulation plates may be utilized as a stagnation zone for the heat transfer medium, so as to make the temperature gradient through the intermediate tube plate or plates gentle and relax the thermal stress occurring in the body wall.

Abstract: A response characteristics of a microwave spectroscopic measuring system is remarkably improved by supplying a carrier to a continuously flowing sample containing a polar substance to be measured quantitatively. The carrier contains a compound having at least similar chemical form to that of the polar substance.

Abstract: A liquid scintillator solution which consists essentially of a polyalkylene glycol derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 to R.sup.5 are each a hydrogen atom, a straight chain or branched chain alkyl group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms or a cyclohexyl group, R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are each a hydrogen atom or a methyl group provided that both R.sup.6 and R.sup.7 are not methyl groups, m is 0 or 1 and n is a value between 2 and 15; and a scintillator.