Abstract: An organic electroluminescent device having an organic layer between a pair of electrodes.

Abstract: A novel carbonyl reductase useful for producing alcohol, particularly derivatives of (S)-4-halo-3-hydroxybutyrate ester, is provided. A novel carbonyl reductase derived from Kluyveromyces aestuarii and the nucleic acid encoding the enzyme are provided. The carbonyl reductase has excellent reductase activity and stereoselectivity. The carbonyl reductase reduces ketone to produce alcohol. It can be particularly advantageous when used in industrial production of (S)-4-halo-3-hydroxybutyrate ester.

Abstract: The present invention provides mutant D-aminoacylases and use thereof. The mutant D-aminoacylases are hard to be inhibited by the substrate and, comprise the amino acid sequences of the D-aminoacylase derived from Alcaligenes denitrificans subsp. xylosoxydans MI-4 strain, wherein amino acid residues at specific sites have been modified. The mutants of the present invention have high reaction specificity as well as resistance to inhibition by the substrate. The present invention enables high-yield production of D-amino acids using higher concentrations of N-acyl-DL-amino acid as the substrate. The mutants of the present invention are useful in producing D-tryptophan in particular.

Abstract: In the first aspect of the present invention, there is disclosed a method for producing a copolymer of an alkyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride which comprises removing an organic solvent used in a reaction under a temperature so that a slurry state can be maintained. According to the first aspect, such a copolymer of the alkyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride which contains a little amount of the solvent remaining therein as disclosed in the second aspect of the present invention, can be obtained. Further, it can be avoided that a specific viscosity of the copolymer of the alkyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride is lowered, by means of a method for producing a copolymer of alkyl vinyl ether and maleic anhydride which comprises shielding oxygen in a polymerization, as disclosed in the third aspect of the present invention.

Abstract: A hybrid inflator which easily controls the amount of outflow of a pressurized medium or the like is provided. Part of a plurality of nozzles 166 positioned in a flow-passage of a pressurized medium or the like are closed by a tape 160 to be ruptured due to increase of an internal pressure. When the internal pressure is low, the tape 160 is not ruptured, but when the internal pressure is high, the tape 160 is ruptured. Therefore, the opening area of the nozzles 166 are changed in accordance with the change in internal pressure so that the amount of the outflow of the pressurized medium and the like can be controlled.

Abstract: A process for producing a phthalaldehyde which comprises reacting at least one compound selected between o-xylylene glycol and o-xylylene oxide with nitric acid. The nitric acid is used in an amount of about 0.2 to 20 mol per mol of the compound selected between o-xylylene glycol and o-xylylene oxide. The process enables a phthalaldehyde to be efficiently produced from easily available materials.

Abstract: A process for producing for a material for an organic electroluminescent device having an emission center comprises irradiating a laser beam to implant an emission center-forming compound 3 constituting a source 1 into a target 2 having at least one function selected from an electron-transporting function and a hole-transporting function. According to the process, the laser beam and at least the target are relatively moved with irradiating the beam to form the emission center with a predetermined pattern. Moreover, the source and the target being in contact with each other may be moved relative to the laser beam for forming the emission center with a predetermined pattern. Further, the emission center at an area, corresponding to an interference pattern of an interference light, of the target may be formed by irradiating the interference light of the laser beam.

Abstract: A coated molding comprising a molding of a thermoplastic resin composition including a thermoplastic resin and an epoxidized diene based block copolymer, and a coating layer formed on a surface of the molding, the thermoplastic resin composition including a thermoplastic resin and an epoxidized diene based block copolymer obtained by epoxidizing a diene based block copolymer or a partially hydrogentated diene based block copolymer, wherein prior to epoxidizing, the diene based block copolymer or partially hydrogenated diene based block copolymer consists of a polymer block consisting of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon compound, and a polymer block consisting of a conjugate diene compound or a partially hydrogenated conjugate diene compound. The thus obtained coating layer is thereby firmly adhered to a molding of the thermoplastic resin composition.

Abstract: The phosphorus-containing compound of the present invention is represented by the following formula (I), (II) or (III): wherein Z1, Z2 and Z3 each represents a cycloalkane, a cycloalkene, a polycyclic aliphatic hydrocarbon or an aromatic hydrocarbon rings which may have a substituent; R represents a halogen atom, a hydroxyl, a carboxyl, a halocarboxyl(haloformyl), an alkyl, an alkoxy, an alkenyl or an aryl groups; A represents a polyvalent group corresponding to an alkane; Y1, Y2 and Y3 each represents —O—, —S— or —NR1—, wherein R1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl group; k is an integer of 1 to 6; m is an integer of 0 to 2; n is an integer of not less than 1; q is an integer of 0 to 5; r is 0 or 1; and S is an integer of 1 to 4. The phosphorus-containing compound is excellent in heat resistance and is useful as flame retardants, plasticizers, or stabilizers.

Abstract: A hybrid inflator having improved inflating performance of an air bag is provided. A gas generator provided in a housing 102, in which a pressurized medium is charged under a high pressure, includes a first gas generating chamber 120 and a second gas generating chamber 130. By allowing the two gas generating chambers to generate high-temperature combustion gas, respectively, the inflating speed and the like of the air bag are further improved.

Abstract: The reflective liquid crystal display device comprises a polarizing plate disposed forwardly of a liquid crystal cell, a relector which is disposed on backside of the liquid crystal cell and reflects an incident light, and a light-scattering sheet which is disposed forwardly of the reflector and scatters the incident light isotopically. The light-scattering sheet can be prepared with the use of a spinodal decomposition method of coating a mixture liquid containing a plurality of polymers varying in refractive index on a transparent support and evaporating or removing a solvent to form a light-scattering layer having a droplet phase structure. The light-scattering layer includes a light-scattering layer showing a maximum intensity of the scattered-light at scattering angles of 3 to 40°, and a light-scattering layer showing maximums intensity of the scattered-light respectively at smaller angles of 2 to 2° and larger angle &thgr;b.

Abstract: An organic electroluminescent device has an organic layer between a pair of electrodes. The organic layer (in particular, a hole-transporting layer) has a polymer of a vinyl compound represented by the following formula (1): wherein R1 and R2 are the same or different, each representing a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, an alkyl group or an alkoxy group. The glass transition temperature of the polymer is about 200 to 250° C., and the polymer has high heat-resistance. Thus, the use of the polymer improves heat resistance of an organic EL device.

Abstract: The present invention provides the D-aminoacylase-encoding gene derived from Hypomyces mycophilus, a filamentous fungus, the polypeptide encoded by the gene, and the homologues thereof. The D-aminoacylase of the present invention is capable of producing D-tryptophan from N-acetyl-D-tryptophan. D-tryptophan is useful as a medicinal raw material or the like.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide novel enone reductases useful for producing ketones. Accordingly, novel enone reductases derived from the genus Kluyveromyces are provided by the present invention. In addition, the present invention also provides genes encoding the enzymes and vectors containing the genes, as well as transformants. Furthermore, the present invention provides enone reductases derived from yeast. Methods for selectively reducing the carbon-carbon double bonds of &agr;,&bgr;-unsaturated ketones using these enone reductases are provided. Ketones useful as a raw material for pharmaceuticals can be produced based on an enzymatic reaction.

Abstract: The present invention provides the D-aminoacylase-encoding gene derived from Hypomyces mycophilus, a filamentous fungus, the polypeptide encoded by the gene, and the homologues thereof. The D-aminoacylase of the present invention is capable of producing D-tryptophan from N-acetyl-D-tryptophan. D-tryptophan is useful as a medicinal raw material or the like.

Abstract: A gas generating composition is obtained in which an amount of a combustion residue based on a unit amount of a gas generated is reduced. A gas generating composition comprising nitroguanidine, guanidine nitrate or a mixture thereof as a fuel and further an oxidizing agent. The oxidizing agent is a perchloric acid salt, a nitric acid salt or a mixture thereof, and when the oxidizing agent is ammonium perchlorate, a chlorine neutralizer is further incorporated.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for enzymatically producing optically active mandelic acid derivatives. An optically active mandelic acid derivative (shown as Formula II) is produced by reacting a culture or cell body of a microorganism, or processed products thereof, with a phenylglyoxylic acid derivative, and then recovering the obtained optically active mandelic acid derivative, wherein the microorganism has the ability to stereo-selectively reduce the phenylglyoxylic acid derivative. An optically active mandelic acid obtained according to the present invention is useful as an intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals.

Abstract: A surface protective film which can be easily peeled off from an adhesive resin layer it protects, is free of any component which may have an adverse effect on adhesion of the adhesive resin layer to an object to which it is bonded, and has no adverse effect on thickness uniformity or surface flatness of the adhesive resin layer, and a process for producing the same. More specifically, a surface protective film for protecting an adhesive resin layer, comprising a base film (A) coated, at least on one side, with a cellulose-based resin layer (B) having an SP value of 21.0 to 29.0(MPa)1/2, determined by the Fedors method, and process for producing the same.

Abstract: A process produces an organic compound by allowing (A) a compound capable of generating a free radical to react with (B) at least one of esters and salts of nitrous acid in the presence of a nitrogen-containing cyclic compound constitutively having a skeleton represented by following Formula (i) in its ring: wherein X is an oxygen atom or an —OR group, and wherein R is a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl-protecting group. Examples of the nitrogen-containing cyclic compound are cyclic imide compounds having a cyclic imide skeleton represented by following Formula (I): wherein n is 0 or 1; X is an oxygen atom or an —OR group, and wherein R is a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl-protecting group.

Abstract: This invention provides a hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylate composition modified by a small amount of lactones in which a proportion of monomers having two or more continuous chains of lactone is less than 50% (area % by GPC). This invention also provides methods for synthesizing such a composition. This invention also provides an acrylic polyol resin comprising the hydroxyalkyl(meth)acrylate composition, a carboxylic group-containing acrylate composition modified by a small amount of lactones, and a polyester unsaturated monomer modified by a small amount of lactones. Uses of these materials in curable resins, coating compositions, and finishing agents are also provided.