Abstract: Disclosed are an active material for non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery usable as a power source for backup, which has a large battery capacity and which may prevent the increase in the internal resistance after a storage test; and a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprising the active material. The active material is used as a positive electrode active material or a negative electrode active material of a non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery, and this is prepared by adding at least one additive element selected from a group consisting of Al, B, Nb, Ti and W to molybdenum dioxide; and the non-aqueous electrolyte secondary battery comprises the active material.

Abstract: A medical valve includes: (a) a housing having a hollow body opened at the top end, wherein the tip of a male luer is to be removably inserted in the housing; (b) a spike disposed to extend longitudinally in the housing, the spike except at least the top end portion being formed in an approximately tapered shape in which its outside diameter becomes progressively smaller toward the top end portion, wherein a fluid transferring passage, which is opened radially outwardly, is formed to extend longitudinally in the spike; and (c) an elastic seal having an elastically deformable tubular shape fitted on the spike to seal the spike, the elastic seal including a top end portion having an openable/closable portion to be openably closed over the spike, wherein the elastic seal is elastically deformed to be downwardly shrunk by downward pressure due to the tip of the male luer.

Abstract: A blood collection needle which includes a needle for puncturing a patient's skin; a needle for puncturing a rubber plug which seals a blood collection tube; a hub for securing respective proximal portions of the two needles; a resilient cap fitted to the hub; and a valve member disposed in the internal passage of the hub which allows only blood flow from the needle used to puncture a patient's skin to the needle used to puncture the rubber plug which seals the blood collection tube. The valve member includes a bowl portion disposed so that the opening is faced toward the needle for puncturing the rubber plug and a guiding portion provided on a bottom surface of the bowl portion for causing the valve member to move to a predetermined position which closes the internal passage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a sheet material including at least an inorganic filler other than asbestos, a polycarbodiimide resin, a rubber having a functional group reactive with a carbodiimide group and, as necessary, an organic or inorganic fiber, or such a sheet material wherein the polycarbodiimide resin and the rubber have been reacted with each other at least partially. A process for producing the sheet material includes making into a sheet-shaped material a composition comprising at least an inorganic filler other than asbestos, a polycarbodiimide resin, a rubber having a functional group reactive with a carbodiimide group and, as necessary, an organic or inorganic fiber, and then heating the sheet-shaped material at a temperature not lower than the softening point of said polycarbodiimide resin, or such a process wherein the heating of the sheet-shaped material at said temperature gives rise to at least partial reaction between the polycarbodiimide resin and the rubber.

Abstract: The present invention provides:a polarizable electrode for use in electric double-layer capacitor, which is made of a carbon composite material composed mainly of:100 parts by weight of an activated carbon,0.05 parts by weight of an amorphous carbon,0.1-1,000 parts by weight of a conductive agent, and0.03-90 parts by weight of a fibrillated carbon; andan electric double-layer capacitor comprising at least one pair of a positive electrode and a negative electrode each containing the above polarizable electrode and each impregnated with an electrolytic solution.The above polarizable electrode and electric double-layer capacitor are substantially free from the drawbacks of conventional polarizable electrodes and conventional electric double-layer capacitors, have a low internal resistance and a long life, and can be charged with or can discharge a large electric current of several amperes to several hundreds of amperes momentarily.