Abstract: Disclosed is a plastic-clad optical fiber (PCF) comprising a quartz core and a polymer clad as tightly formed around the core, in which the clad has a multi-layered structure of a plurality of different polymers, and the refractive index of the core (nCO), that of the first clad as tightly formed around the core (nCL1) and that of the second clad as tightly formed over the first clad (nCL2) satisfy both 0.21 ≦(nCO2−nCL12)≦0.35 and nCL2<nCL1. This is a wide-band PCF which exhibits reduced loss in connection with crimp-style connectors, reduced bending loss, and lower transmission loss with temperature changes. Therefore, this PCF is useful as a light information-transmitting material in constructing ATM-LAN, high-speed Ethernet, etc.

Abstract: Disclosed are carbon fibers consisting of a plurality of single filaments, wherein the carbon fibers as a resin impregnated strand are characterized by satisfying the following relations: &sgr;≧11.1−0.75 d where &sgr; is the tensile strength of said carbon fibers as a resin impregnated strand in GPa, and d is the average diameter of said single filaments in &mgr;m, and RD≦0.05 where RD is the difference in crystallinity between the inner and outer layers of each of the single filaments evaluated with RAMAN, and an acrylic fibers for producing the carbon fibers and a process for producing the acrylic fibers.

Abstract: A forming stand for continuously forming a skelp material into a pipe, by pressure of spaced-apart forming rolls supported by spaced upper and lower shafts, the forming rolls having two portions, with one portion fixedly fitted on one side of its shaft, a sleeve slidably fitted to the other end of the shaft and fixedly secured to the sleeve and slidable with respect to the shaft; a bearing box for supporting one side of the associated shaft; a bearing box supporting the other side of the associated shaft through the sleeve; upper and lower stand supporting frames for supporting both of the bearing boxes to be movable in an axial direction; and supporting columns for supporting the stand supporting frames; the pipe-forming force is continuously measured and the forming operation is adjusted such that the measured value of pipe-forming force does not exceed a predetermined pipe-forming upper limit.

Abstract: An epoxy resin composition to seal semiconductors constructed of a semiconductor element, a base to support said semiconductor element, and an epoxy resin composition covering only one side opposite to the base, said epoxy resin composition comprising (A) epoxy resin, (B) hardener, and (C) inorganic filler, and giving a cured product which has (a) a flexural modulus of elasticity of 10 to 30 GPa at 23° C. and (b) a coefficient of linear expansion of 4×10−6/K to 10×10−6/K in the temperature range from 23° C. to the glass transition point, with the product of (a) and (b) being smaller than 2×10−4 GPa/K.

Abstract: Fe—Cr—Si steel sheet having an excellent corrosion resistance and high toughness and method for manufacturing the same; the amount of Cr is about 10-30 wt %, the total amount of C and N is not more than about 100 ppm and the remainder consists of Fe and incidental impurities; when a cast piece of this steel is subjected to hot rolling to roll into a thickness of not more than about 3 mm, the hot rolled sheet can be subjected to cold rolling or to warm rolling without annealing.

Abstract: A platelet function increment agent including a prostaglandin I2 derivative as an active ingredient, and a therapeutic method for thrombocytopathy using the same. The platelet function increment agent of the present invention does not induce platelet aggregation, has superior activating action on platelets and is greatly useful as a platelet function increment agent.

Abstract: A photosensitive resin composition comprising (A) a polymer as derived from its latex dispersion in water, (B) a hydrophilic photopolymerizable monomer, (C) rubber, and (D) a photopolymerization initiator, especially that as prepared by mixing (A′) a latex dispersion in water and (B) a hydrophilic photopolymerizable monomer to give a component (E), followed by kneading under heat the resulting component (E) with (C) rubber and (D) a photopolymerization initiator, can be developed with a developer not containing additives such as surfactants and alkali metal salts. The composition has good image reproducibility and is favorable to flexographic printing plates.

Abstract: A fly-fishing reel is equipped with a primary braking system, operated by actuating means separate from a handle allowing the fisherman to rotate the spool in a direction for winding the line, and an ancillary braking system, operable in addition to the primary braking system by means of the handle of the spool. The ancillary braking system comprises a pair of brake shoes which are eccentrically pivoted on the handle and which, upon rotation of the handle in direction opposite to that required for winding the line, are caused to pivot on the handle itself so that an outer edge frictionally engages the wall of a housing provided in the spool.

Abstract: A therapeutic agent for feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) infections, (including the treatment of the anemia and chronic stomatitis caused by infection with a FIV) comprising a feline interferon preparation containing a feline interferon as a principal agent, and a therapeutic method for FIV infections comprising administering a feline interferon preparation containing a feline interferon as a principal agent to a cat every day are disclosed. Furthermore, a therapeutic method and agent for feline atopic dermatitis are disclosed. The preferred feline interferon, is an &ohgr;-feline interferon.

Abstract: A biaxially oriented polypropylene film to be metallized, including a surface layer made of a polypropylene resin with the endothermic main peak by crystal fusion in a range of 155 to 163° C. and with a heat of crystal fusion of 20 to 90 J/g, being laminated layer at least on one side of the base layer made of isotactic polypropylene; and the wetting tension of the surface layer, being 33 to 55 mN/m. A metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene film, including a thin metallic film, being laminated on the surface layer of said biaxially oriented polypropylene film to be metallized. A laminate obtained by using said metallized biaxially oriented polypropylene film.

Abstract: On a source side, piezo-electric elements (34) are arranged such that vibration direction is perpendicular to a wall of a bore hole (12), and then an anvil (42) arranged on the piezo-electric elements in a bore hole wall side is pressure-contacted to the wall of the bore hole by a clamping mechanism (64). On a receiver side, upper and lower portion of another bore hole (112) are closed by a packer (182) and a shut-off valve (180), respectively, thereby preventing the fluid from flowing, and a cable (150) above a vibration receiver is fixed to the wall of said another bore hole (112) by a clamping mechanism (164), thereby reducing noise propagating through the cable. This increases measuring depth and crosswell distance of petroleum exploration and soil investigation by acoustic tomography, which causes applicability to be spread.

Abstract: An image transfer material for thermal recording capable of providing a highly precise printing quality suitable for multiple printing operations comprises a base film having, on one of its surfaces a layer of a colouring material. The base film is made of an aromatic polyamide and has a Young's modulus EMD in the longitudinal direction, measured at 20° C. and at a relative humidity of 60%, of at least 6.86 GPa. The base film is in a substantially flat condition and is capable of maintaining a flat condition after having been heat-treated at 200° C. for 10 minutes in the absence of an applied tension.

Abstract: This invention provides an antipruritic comprising an opiate &kgr; receptor agonist as an effective component, a new morphinan quaternary ammonium salt derivative and a new morphinan-N-oxide derivative which are useful in treating pruritus complicated with some diseases.

Abstract: Disclosed are bake-hardenable sheet steel with good anti-aging property and a method for producing it. While controlling its C, P, S and N contents, the chemical composition of the sheet steel is defined to comprise not larger than 1.0% of Si, not larger than 3.0% of Mn, from 0.01 to 0.20% of Al and from 0.001 to 0.2% of Ti, in terms of % by weight. The value A (=(AIQUENCH−AI)/AIQUENCH) of the sheet steel is defined to be not smaller than 0.4 and the value AIQUENCH thereof to be not smaller than 30; or the ratio of the mean misorientation, M (degree), to the mean grain size, G (&mgr;m), M/G, of the sheet steel is defined to be not smaller than 0.8. The steel may additionally contain from 0.001 to 0.2% of Nb and/or from 0.0001 to 0.0080% of B. While controlling its Si, Mn, S, Al and N contents, the chemical composition of a steel slab is defined to comprise from 0.005 to 0.02% of C, not larger than 0.05% of P and from 0.025 to 0.19% of Nb, with satisfying the condition of 0.

Abstract: A treatment agent for elastic polyurethane fibers comprising a dispersion in which a higher fatty acid magnesium salt is colloidally dispersed in a silicone mixture consisting of a silicone oil with a viscosity of 5×10−6−50×10−6 m2/S at 25° C. as a dispersion medium and a dispersant mainly comprising a modified silicone at a ratio by weight of the dispersion medium/the dispersant=100/0.5−100/4.5, wherein the amount of the higher fatty acid magnesium salt is 1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the silicone oil.

Abstract: For producing a polyamide having an unreacted caprolactam content of from 0 to 0.5% by weight and an oligomer content of from 0 to 1.25% by weight and having a relative viscosity in a 0.01 g/ml solution of sulfuric acid at 25° C. of from 2.2 to 8.0, combined is a first step of polymerizing a starting material comprising caprolactam, under atmospheric pressure to prepare a polymerization product having an unreacted caprolactam content of not larger than 25% by weight and an oligomer content falling between 0 and 1.8% by weight, and a second step of heating the polymerization product prepared in the first step, at a temperature T satisfying the following formula (1) and under reduced pressure to thereby remove the unreacted caprolactam and the oligomer from it: Glass transition point of polyamide<T<melting point of polyamide+150° C.

Abstract: The present invention provides a coating layer of the coke oven having a high strength, high impact resistance and excellent smoothness to enable long term protection of the fire brick of the coke oven. Carbon adhered to the brick can be removed by spraying a coating agent with a glaze layer mainly composed of 18 to 70% by weight of SiO.sub.2 and 10 to 60% by weight of Na.sub.2 O and/or K.sub.2 O and containing one or a plurality of 2 to 14% by weight of P.sub.2 O.sub.5, 0.5 to 25% by weight of BaO, 0.5 to 25% by weight of SrO and 0.5 to 20% by weight of Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3 onto the surface of a high temperature firebrick, thereby obtaining an excellent coating layer.

Abstract: Electromagnetic steel sheets which contain Cr in an amount of from about 1.5 to 20% by weight and Si in an amount of from about 2.5 to 10% by weight, while having a total amount of C and N of not larger than about 100 ppm by weight, and which has a specific resistivity of not smaller than about 60 .mu..OMEGA..multidot.cm.

Abstract: Disclosed are a photosensitive resin composition for printing plate materials, which comprise a polymer having an ionic group and a polymerizable group in the side chain, and a printing plate material as formed by applying the composition onto a support. The hardness of the photosensitive layer of the composition is hardly influenced by temperature and water, and the layer, after having been developed, has good resistance to aqueous ink.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a polyester polymerization catalyst, comprising a solution containing an aluminum compound and an alkali compound, with water or an organic solvent or a mixture consisting of water and an organic solvent as the medium, a production method thereof, and a polyester production method, in which the product obtained by the esterification reaction or ester interchange reaction between an aromatic dicarboxylic acid or any of its ester forming derivative and a diol is polycondensed, to produce a polyester, comprising the use of said polymerization catalyst containing an aluminum compound.The present invention can provide a polyester excellent in processability and can overcome such problems as spinneret contamination, filtration pressure rise, filament breaking, film breaking and foreign matter production in the production process of products such as fibers, films, resins and bottles.