Abstract: The present invention provides a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which is able to produce L-cysteine and has been modified to increase the activity of the protein encoded by the dsbA gene. This bacterium is cultured in a medium, and L-cysteine, L-cystine, a derivative or precursor thereof or a mixture thereof can be collected from the medium.

Abstract: An L-amino acid is produced by culturing a microorganism which belongs to the family Enterobacteriaceae and is able to produce an L-amino acid, wherein the bacterium has been modified to enhance orotate phosphoribosyltransferase activity is enhanced, in a medium to produce and cause accumulation of an L-amino acid in the medium or cells, and collecting the L-amino acid from the medium or the cells.

Abstract: In a support for a turbine, which turbine has an outer casing which is split into an upper section (11) and a lower section (12) in a horizontal parting plane, in which upper section (11) and lower section (12) are screwed to each other on a horizontal flange (13; 13a, 13b) which lies in the parting plane, the support includes a multiplicity of essentially vertical supports (31) which by an upper end act on the outer casing (18) and by the lower end are supported on a foundation. With such a support, optimum points of application on the outer casing are achieved with the threaded flange connection without limitations by one or more of the supports (31) acting by the upper end on the horizontal flange (13; 13a, 13b) and being part of the horizontal threaded flange connection.

Abstract: In a method of operating a gas turbine during shut down, the gas turbine is decelerated and closure of compressor inlet guide vanes (1) is initiated at a shaft speed at least 5% above the shaft speed where a vibration peak occurs. The compressor inlet guide vanes (1) are closed by an angle in the range from 15°-35°, preferably at a rate between 5° and 10° per second. The method effects a reduction of the risk of rotational stall.

Abstract: A microscopic bubble generating apparatus includes a Roots-type pump including a pair of multi-lobed Roots rotors housed in a pump casing, and a drive motor rotating the rotors, a suction pipe connected to a suction port of the pump casing, a discharge pipe connected to a discharge port of the pump casing, and a conduit communicating with the suction pipe and having an air inlet and a collision member with which sucked water is caused to collide. The pump is operated to suck water through the suction pipe and to cause the water mixed with air sucked through the air inlet to collide with the collision member so that a number of bubbles are generated. The bubbles are refined by a compressing action of the pump to be rendered microscopic. The water containing the microscopic bubbles is released from the discharge pipe into water in a septic tank or river.

Abstract: The present invention provides a stable complex microbial system, which simultaneously decomposes a plurality of organic contaminants even under a polluted environment with these contaminants and permits more effective decomposition of persistent organic contaminants such as PCNB and simazine. A support for holding a complexed accumulation of degrading bacteria, which contains a porous material provided as a support on which a degrading bacterium A capable of degrading at least one organic contaminant and a degrading bacterium B capable of degrading another organic contaminant are accumulated, is produced. The degrading bacterium A may be a PCNB-degrading bacterium, particularly a degrading bacterium containing a degrading bacterium having part or all of mycological characteristics of Nocardioides sp. PD653 and the degrading bacterium B may be a degrading bacterium containing a degrading bacterium having part or all of mycological characteristics of ?-Proteobacteria CDB21.

Abstract: A coryneform bacterium that is modified by using a yggB gene so that L-glutamic acid-producing ability is enhanced as compared to a non-modified strains is cultured in a medium to cause accumulation of L-glutamic acid in the medium or bacterial cells, and L-glutamic acid is collected from the medium or cells.

Abstract: A method for producing immortalized antibody-secreting cells, comprising: (a) providing a transgenic animal having antibody-secreting cells capable of expressing one or more transgenes, wherein the antibody-secreting cells are in a non-immortalized state in the absence of a stimulus and are capable of changing to an immortalized state by means of the transgene or transgenes upon exposure of the cells to the stimulus; (b) extracting the antibody-secreting cells from the animal; and (c) exposing the antibody-secreting cells to the stimulus, thereby immortalizing the antibody secreting cells by means of the transgene or transgenes.

Abstract: L-Cysteine, L-cystine, a derivative or precursor thereof, or a mixture thereof is produced by culturing a bacterium belonging to the family Enterobacteriaceae, which has L-cysteine-producing ability and has been modified so that the activity of a protein encoded by a tolC gene, for example, a protein defined in the following (a) or (b), is increased in a medium, and by collecting L-cysteine, L-cystine, a derivative or precursor thereof, or a mixture thereof from the medium: (a) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, (b) a protein comprising the amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO: 2, but wherein one or several amino acid residues are substituted, deleted, inserted or added, increase of which activity in the bacterium improves the ability of the bacterium to produce L-cysteine.

Abstract: A highly active L-isoleucine dioxygenase from Bacillus thuringiensis is provided. A method for manufacturing (2S,3R,4S)-4-hydroxy-L-isoleucine or a salt thereof by reacting L-isoleucine in an aqueous solvent in the presence of L-isoleucine dioxygenase and isolating (2S,3R,4S)-4-hydroxy-L-isoleucine is also provided.

Abstract: A leak detection system has: a test chamber connected to a vacuum pump; a filling device for filling a test piece with helium gas; a transfer device for transferring the test piece between a ready-for-detection position in which the test piece is ready to be carried into the test chamber and a filling-operation position in which the operation of filling helium gas by the filling device is performed; a carrying device for carrying the test piece from the ready-for-detection position to a detection position inside the test chamber; a sealing device for hermetically sealing the test chamber in a state in which the helium-gas-filled test piece is in the detection position; and a leak detector for detecting helium to be leaked out of the test piece when, after having sealed the test chamber by the sealing device, the test chamber is evacuated by the vacuum pump to a predetermined pressure.

Abstract: There is provided a method of manufacturing a permanent magnet which has an extremely high coercive force and high magnetic properties is manufactured at high productivity. There are executed: a first step of causing at least one of Dy and Tb to adhere to at least part of a surface of iron-boron-rare-earth based sintered magnet; and a second step of diffusing, through heat-treatment at a predetermined temperature, at least one of Dy and Tb adhered to the surface of the sintered magnet into grain boundary phase of the sintered magnet.

Abstract: A turbine diaphragm includes an annulus of static blades and an outer diaphragm ring surrounding the annulus of static blades and welded to the outer platforms. Each static blade has an inner platform, an aerofoil, and an outer platform. The inner platforms serve the function of an inner diaphragm ring, thereby reducing material and manufacturing costs. Furthermore, confronting edges of the inner platforms have an interference fit with each other and the aerofoils are in a state of torsional stress between the inner and outer platforms. The latter two features improve the dynamic characteristics of the diaphragm.

Abstract: Provided is a shape information storage portion in which shape information, which is information specifying a shape of a solid object, which is a three-dimensional object, can be stored; a placement information storage portion in which placement information, which is one or more pieces of information that can be placed on a surface constituting the solid object, can be stored; an acquisition condition information storage portion in which acquisition condition information, which is information indicating a condition for acquiring information that is to be each placed on one or more surfaces constituting the solid object from the placement information, can be stored; and a surface information acquiring portion that acquires surface information, which is information that is to be placed on one or more surfaces of the solid object, from the placement information, using the acquisition condition information.

Abstract: A bone screw, which can be a pedicle screw, is generally tulip-shaped. A bore in the bottom of the tulip permits a threaded shaft to be partially inserted into the open interior of the tulip. A seat is formed on the threaded shaft and receives the bottom of the tulip, and prevents the threaded shaft from being inserted too far into the tulip. A saddle is positioned in the interior of the tulip and receives the end of the threaded shaft on one end and can include a trough on its opposite face which can receive a rod that connects together two or more such assemblies. A retaining screw threads into the upper interior surface of the tulip to hold the subcomponents together.

Abstract: A bone plating system includes a bone screw lock that includes a circular disc with a hole which is offset from the geometric center of the disc, and a tang which extends down from the disc into a circular slot on the bone plate.

Abstract: One object of the present invention is to provide a method for manufacturing a permanent magnet which can effectively improving the magnetizing properties and coercive force with efficiently diffusing Dy into grain boundary phases without deteriorating a surface of sintered magnet of Nd—Fe—B family and does not require any subsequent working process. Sintered magnet S of Nd—Fe—B family and Dy are arranged in a processing chamber 20 apart from each other. Then Dy is evaporated by heating the processing chamber 20 under a reduced pressure condition to evaporate Dy with elevating the temperature of sintered magnet S to a predetermined temperature and to supply and deposit evaporated Dy atoms onto the surface of sintered magnet S. During which the supplying amount of Dy atoms onto the sintered magnet S is controlled so as to diffuse and homogeneously penetrate them into the grain boundary phases of sintered magnet before Dy layer is formed on the surface of sintered magnet.