Abstract: Sports equipment or a sports device is described. It has an elongated body equipped with two handles, which are configured to accommodate hands and/or feet. The elongated body can be elastically flexed in a longitudinal direction. In a preferred embodiment of the sports equipment or sports device, the elongated body is designed for use as a swimming float. The sports equipment or sports device is particularly suited for training, playing and/or exercising.

Abstract: An ultrasonic probe is configured such that: a piezoelectric element group is housed within a sealed container so as to be rotated and oscillated left and right about a center line that equally divides a plate surface of the piezoelectric element group; and the sealed container is filled with a liquid that serves as an acoustic medium, and in the sealed container there are provided an inlet hole for the liquid as well as an exhaust hole, to the inlet hole there is connected a flexible tube that functions as a diaphragm, and on the flexible tube and the exhaust hole there are respectively provided sealing lids. As a result, there is provided an ultrasonic probe that prevents an occurrence of air bubbles in a liquid that serves as an ultrasonic wave medium, and that realizes excellent ultrasonic characteristics.

Abstract: A simplified production method of stereoisomer of theaspiran having high optical purity has been desired. An alcohol compound having a specific skeleton is enantioselectively esterified with an enzyme, or an ester compound having a specific skeleton is enantioselectively hydrolyzed with an enzyme. The resultant optically active ester or optically active alcohol is used. Thus, optically active theaspiran having a desired configuration and having a high optical purity is obtained in a satisfactory yield.

Abstract: The separation method for zinc sulfide, in the hydrometallurgical process by a High Pressure Acid Leach for nickel oxide ore comprising leaching and solid/liquid separation step, neutralization step, zinc removal step, and nickel recovery step, which can inhibit clogging of a filter cloth and reduce a frequency of washing operation and replacement operation of a filter cloth by improving filtration performance of zinc sulfide, and inhibit decrease of nickel recovery ratio, in the zinc removal step in which zinc sulfide is formed by adding a sulfurizing agent to the neutralization final liquid containing zinc as well as nickel and cobalt and zinc sulfide is separated to obtain a mother liquid for nickel recovery containing nickel and cobalt. The separation method for zinc sulfide of the present invention is characterized in that in the above-described neutralization step, the leach residue is added to the leach liquor, and pH of the neutralization final liquid is adjusted so as to fall to the range from 3.

Abstract: The method for scrubbing an amine type extractant after stripping to be able to regenerate the same so that the amine type extractant can be repeatedly reused as it is in the extraction stage in the solvent extraction process, when an amine type extractant is regenerated by scrubbing an amine type extractant (A) containing an iron and a zinc chloro complex ion obtained by back extracting a cobalt with a hydrochloric acid aqueous solution from the amine type extractant after extracting a cobalt. The method is characterized by comprising the procedures of the following (1) to (3). (1) an amine type extractant (B) is obtained by adding an aqueous solution containing a sulfite ion to an amine type extractant (A) and stirring the mixture and reducing a ferric (III) chloro complex ion to divalent. (2) an amine type extractant (C) is obtained by adding an aqueous solution containing an oxidizing agent to the amine type extractant (B) and stirring the mixture and oxidizing a sulfite ion to sulfate ion.

Abstract: The GPR40 receptor function regulator of the present invention, which comprises a compound having an aromatic ring and a group capable of releasing cation is useful as an insulin secretagogue or an agent for the prophylaxis or treatment of diabetes and the like.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a three-dimensional system, and compositions obtained therefrom, wherein individual layers of the system comprise channels divided longitudinally into two compartments by a centrally positioned membrane, and wherein each compartment can comprise a different cell type.

Abstract: The present invention provides stable metastin derivatives having excellent biological activities (a cancer metastasis suppressing activity, a cancer growth suppressing activity, a gonadotropic hormone secretion stimulating activity, sex hormone secretion stimulating activity, etc.). By substituting the constituent amino acids of metastin with specific amino acids in the metastin derivative of the present invention, blood stability, solubility, etc. are more improved, gelation tendency is reduced, pharmacokinetics are also improved, and an excellent cancer metastasis suppressing activity or a cancer growth suppressing activity is exhibited. Furthermore, the metastin derivative of the present invention has the effects of suppressing gonadotropic hormone secretion, suppressing sex hormone secretion, etc.

Abstract: A powder coating composition of the present invention includes, as essential components, an epoxy group-containing vinyl copolymer (A) with a glass transition temperature of 40° C. or higher, an epoxy group-containing vinyl copolymer (B) that contains organosiloxane side chains and has a glass transition temperature of 0° C. or lower, and a polyvalent carboxylic acid (C), and is able to form a coating film with excellent external appearance and scratch resistance.

Abstract: The present invention provides an embedded system and method for recovering the file system of flash memory when damage has occurred to the file system of the flash memory. The embedded system is equipped with NOR flash memory. The embedded system includes boot Programmable Read-Only Memory (PROM) and a Central Processing Unit (CPU). The boot PROM stores a normal state check value for a Cyclic Redundancy Check (CRC), and performs the recovery of the NOR flash memory if it is determined that a failure has occurred in the NOR flash memory through failure detection. The CPU is set such that it jumps to the boot PROM at the time of startup of the embedded system.

Abstract: The present invention relates to compounds of the formula (I) wherein A, X and R1 to R9 are as described herein; to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the said compounds; to processes for their preparation; and to the use of the compounds as medicaments against 5-HT6 receptor-related disorders.

Abstract: The present invention provides an apparatus for manufacturing a carbon nano-tube tip comprising an AC/DC voltage supply, a metallic or semiconductor tip, an amperemeter, and a metallic vessel connected to the tip and the amperemter, wherein the metallic vessel is used as the electrode and define a groove therein filled with a carbon nano-tube solution. The present invention also provides a method for manufacturing a carbon nano-tube tip wherein carbon nano-tubes dispersed in a solvent are attached by electrophoresis to the end of a metal tip or semiconductor tip by using as an electrode a metallic vessel having a groove therein.

Abstract: A geogrid using fiber-reinforced polymeric strips and its producing method are disclosed. The geogrid of a lattice shape includes plural longitudinal fiber-reinforced polymeric strips longitudinally arranged in parallel at regular intervals and formed by reinforcing fiber in a thermoplastic polymer resin, and plural lateral fiber-reinforced polymer strip laterally arranged in parallel at regular intervals and formed by reinforcing fiber in a thermoplastic polymer resin. Each longitudinal fiber-reinforced polymer strip has at lease one first contact point crossed with the lateral fiber-reinforced polymer strip on the upper surface and at least one second contact point crossed with the lateral fiber-reinforced polymer strips on the lower surface. The contact points are fixed by welding the longitudinal and lateral fiber-reinforced polymer strips.

Abstract: A remote control transmitter includes a transparent protective filter that covers a light emitting device in the light emitting direction. The filter is formed as a strip shaped, long and thin plate that is made from a transparent material that has a refractive index that is larger at least than that of air. The transparent protective filter, is attached so that it is oriented frontwards from the front surface of the case so that one end surface in the longitudinal directions opposes the light emitting device. The optical control signal that is emitted from the light emitting device is emitted from another end surface of the transparent protective filter, such that the optical control signal is not blocked by the finger that grasps the case, even if that case is formed with a size such that it can be grasped with one hand.

Abstract: The invention relates to dihydroquinazolines and methods for the production thereof, the use thereof in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, in addition to the use thereof in the production of medicaments in the treatment and/or prophylaxis of diseases, especially for use as anti-viral agents, especially against cytomegalo viruses.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are mutant strains, KCCM-10784P and KCCM-10785P, which are obtained through gene manipulation of Corynebacterium glutamicum KFCC-11074, and a process of producing L-glutamic acid using the mutant strains. The mutant strains are capable of producing L-Glutamic acid at high yield.

Abstract: A conductive contact unit includes a conductive contact holder, a conductive contact, and an aligning unit. The conductive contact holder includes a first guiding grooves and a second guiding groove opposite to the first guiding groove, each slidably engaging one edge of the conductive contact. The conductive contact has a plate-like shape, and includes a first contacting element and a second contacting element that are brought into contact with different circuitries, a resilient element that is expandable and contractible in a longitudinal direction between the first contacting element and the second contacting element, a first connecting element that connects the resilient element and the first contacting element, and a second connecting element that connects the resilient element and the second contacting element. The aligning unit aligns the conductive contacts.

Abstract: The invention relates to antigen-presenting cells having specificity against a selected antigen and methods for making the cells. The invention also relates to a method of selecting efficient antigen-presenting cells using reporter fusion constructs. The highly efficient antigen-presenting cells of the invention will provide a therapeutic strategy of modulating immune responses for a variety of diseases.