Abstract: A silver-coated copper powder includes copper core particles and a silver coat layer located on the surface of the core particles. When S1 is a BET specific surface area (m2/g) of the silver-coated copper powder; S2 is a specific surface area (m2/g) calculated from a particle diameter D50 obtained by the analysis of a microscopic image of the silver-coated copper powder; and t is a thickness of the silver coat layer, the silver-coated copper powder satisfies Expression: (S1/S2)?0.005×t+1.45. The silver-coated copper powder has a volume cumulative particle diameter D50L at a cumulative volume of 50 vol % as measured by laser diffraction-scattering method of 0.01 to 100 ?m.

Abstract: There is provided a coating material comprising a mixture of a water-based resin composition of a thermoplastic elastomer (A) and/or a thermoplastic elastomer (B) in which at least one moiety is modified with a functional group; one of a water-based resin composition of a resin (G) formed from a copolymerizable monomer (G-1) which includes a monomer having an ?,?-monoethylenic unsaturated group and other copolymerizable monomer, and a water-based resin composition of an urethane resin (U); and a water-based resin composition of a petroleum-based hydrocarbon resin (D) and/or a rosin-based resin (E) and/or a terpene-based resin (F). The coating material causing no separation phenomenon provides a coating composition or a primer with which spray coating is possible, and is a completely water-based coating material exhibiting an excellent adhesivity to a molded article of various resins such as polyolefin and a synthetic rubber or to metals such as a steel plate and aluminum.

Abstract: A polymeric piezoelectric material having an aliphatic polyester (A) with a weight-average molecular weight of from 50,000 to 1,000,000 and having optical activity, and a stabilizing agent (B) with a weight-average molecular weight of from 200 to 60,000 having at least one kind of functional group selected from the group consisting of a carbodiimide group, an epoxy group and an isocyanate group, wherein the crystallinity of the material obtained by a DSC method is from 20% to 80%, and a content of the stabilizing agent (B) is from 0.01 part by mass to 10 parts by mass with respect to 100 parts by mass of the aliphatic polyester (A), as well as a process for producing the same, is provided.

Abstract: A process for preparing ?-mercaptocarboxylic acid is provided with Step a for reacting a compound represented by a formula: X12S or a compound represented by a formula: X2SH, alkali hydroxide represented by a formula: X3OH (the X groups being defined), and unsaturated carboxylic acid represented by the following General Formula (1) to obtain a reaction solution including a compound represented by the following General Formula (2) and a compound represented by the following General Formula (3), Step b for neutralizing the reaction solution obtained in Step a with an acid to obtain a reaction solution including ?-mercaptocarboxylic acid represented by the following General Formula (4) and a compound represented by the following General Formula (5), Step c for distillation-refining the reaction solution obtained in Step b to obtain the ?-mercaptocarboxylic acid, and Step d for returning a distillation residue in Step c to Step a.

Abstract: Hydroxycarboxylic acids are produced by using a microorganism that is improved in ability to produce nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide by deleting, mutating or substituting nadR gene in the microorganism or introducing a gene encoding nicotinic acid phosphoribosyltransferase.

Abstract: There is provided a laminated iron core including a plurality of piled iron core pieces, each piled iron core pieces being blanked from at least two piled sheet materials and sequentially laminated on other piled iron core pieces, wherein the piled iron core pieces adjacent in a direction of lamination are interlocked together by a plurality of caulking parts provided in each piled iron core pieces. Each of the plurality of caulking parts includes a caulking protrusion formed in one side and a caulking fitting groove formed in the other side to which the caulking protrusion is fitted, and the caulking protrusion is allowed to protrude to the caulking fitting groove of the piled iron core pieces adjacent thereto in the direction of lamination, and a width of the caulking protrusion is larger than an inner width of the caulking fitting groove.

Abstract: Disclosed is an optical material including a cyclic olefin copolymer containing at least a repeating structural unit [A] represented by the general formula (1) and a repeating structural unit [B] represented by the general formula (2) and having a molar ratio [A]/[B] of from 95/5 to 1/99, wherein the absolute value of the ratio ?OB/?F is from 0.001 to 0.250 in which ?OB represents the amount of a change in the absolute value of the orientation birefringence calculated from the phase difference (nm) at a wavelength of 633 nm/film thickness (?m) in a stretched film obtained from the optical material, and ?F represents the amount of a change in the absolute value of the orientation coefficient determined from the dichroic ratio of parallel light intensity I? to perpendicular light intensity I?, each relative to the orientation direction according to Raman spectroscopy.

Abstract: The present invention provides a non-aqueous electrolytic solution for a lithium secondary battery, wherein the lithium secondary battery includes, as a cathode active material, a composite oxide in which at least 35% by mole of a transition metal included in the composite oxide is manganese, and wherein the non-aqueous electrolytic solution includes an unsaturated sultone.

Abstract: A plant disease control agent comprising at least one member selected from the group consisting of saccharides and substances each having a bactericidal and/or fungicidal activity. The plant disease control agents are effective for the control of cucumber, grape and cabbage downy mildew, damping-off in seedlings caused by Pythium spp, cucumber and barley powdery mildew, wheat stem rust, potato and tomato late blight, and others.

Abstract: The invention provides an imide compound represented by the following Formula (1) and an insecticide including the imide compound: wherein, each of A1, A2, A3, and A4 represents a carbon atom, a nitrogen atom, or an oxidized nitrogen atom; R1 represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group which may be substituted, or a C2-C4 alkylcarbonyl group which may be substituted; each of G1 and G2 independently represents an oxygen atom or a sulfur atom; each X may be the same as or different from one another and represents a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, a C1-C3 alkyl group, or a trifluoromethyl group; n represents an integer from 0 to 4; and each of Q1 and Q2 represents a phenyl group, naphthyl group, or a heterocyclic group, each of which may be substituted.

Abstract: Eyewear including an optical functional member, control electronics, and a sealed electrical connective element connecting the electronics to the optical functional member. The connective element can directly connect the electronics to the optical functional member, or can connect through an intermediate contact, e.g., a plug-and-receptacle. The connective element can be routed from the electronics, around a rimlock of the eyewear to the optical functional member. The connective element can be a conductive compressible member, such as conductive rubber. In some embodiments, the connective element can be a multiconductor cable.

Abstract: Provided is a polymer composition including (A) an ionomer containing an ethylene/?,?-unsaturated carboxylic acid copolymer and an ethylene/?,?-unsaturated carboxylic acid/?,?-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester terpolymer, and (B) a propylene-based polymer, wherein the mass of constituent units derived from the ?,?-unsaturated carboxylic acid ester is from 1 to 4.5% by mass of the entire mass of the ionomer. Through this, a high seal strength may be obtained in a high-temperature range when forming a lock seal, while a high seal strength, as compared with the related art, can be stably obtained over a wide temperature range with a temperature dependence suppressed when forming a peelable seal.

Abstract: Aspects of the present invention provide progressive addition lenses (PALs) and techniques for designing PALs that result in improved visual performance for the wearer. PALs of the present invention can have vision zones with widths that are more in line with the actual or functional sizes used by wearers. PALs of the present invention can also introduce controlled amounts of unwanted astigmatism into one or more vision zones. By allowing vision zones to include manageable levels of astigmatism, the resulting PAL can avoid the harsh build-up of astigmatism typically found in conventional PALs at the periphery of the channel and viewing zones. Further, PALs of the present invention can be designed using a merit function to achieve an optimized iterative design that accounts for astigmatism vector orientation and not simply astigmatism magnitude as is the case with conventional PAL design.

Abstract: An aqueous thermosetting composition comprising an amino resin (A) obtained by addition dehydration condensation of an amino compound (a), an aldehyde (b) and an alcohol (c) and a urethane resin (B) obtained by polymerization of an isocyanate (d), a polyol (e) and an oxycarboxylic acid (f) having two or more hydroxyl groups. The aqueous thermosetting composition of the present invention contains both an amino resin and a urethane resin in a one-pack hardener, and the respective performances of the resins can be retained without any deterioration. Further, the aqueous thermosetting composition exhibits favorable dispersibility in water and excels in storage stability, so that it is useful in a wide spectrum of application fields, such as paint, ink, adhesive, coating material, binder and primer.

Abstract: An aromatic amine derivative represented by formula (1): wherein R1, R2, R3, L, AR1, Ar2, k, m, and n are the same as defined in the specification, is useful as a material for an organic EL device and realizes an organic EL device with a high efficiency and a long lifetime even when driving it at a low voltage.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method of punching a core piece having a bridge formed between a radially-outer end of a magnet insertion hole and an outer region of the core piece. The method includes punching out the magnet insertion hole, forming a through hole that defines a radially-outer contour of the bridge, and blanking the core piece in an exterior shape while avoiding an edge of the punch from coinciding with the radially-outer contour of the bridge.

Abstract: Demyelinated axons were remyelinated in the demyelinated rat model by collecting bone marrow cells from mouse bone marrow and transplanting the mononuclear cell fraction separated from these bone marrow cells.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a polypropylene spunbond nonwoven fabric excellent in its flexibility, bending resistance, texture and strength. A spunbond nonwoven fabric of the present invention is made of a propylene polymer composition containing a propylene polymer (A) having a melting point of not less than 120° C. and a fatty acid amide having not less than 15 and not more than 21 carbon atoms. An oleic acid amide is preferred as the fatty acid amide having not less than 15 and not more than 21 carbon atoms. Preferably, the propylene polymer composition further contains a propylene polymer (B) having a melting point of less than 120° C.

Abstract: A meltblown nonwoven fabric is provided having thermoplastic resin fibers having an average fiber diameter of 0.1 to 10 ?m, a bulk density of not more than 36 kg/m3 and an air permeability, as measured by a Frazier type method at basis weight of 200 g/m2, of 3 to 100 cc/cm2/sec. The meltblown nonwoven fabric has a low bulk density and is excellent in sound absorption performance, oil adsorption performance, heat insulation performance, dust collection performance and filtration performance. Since the meltblown nonwoven fabric can be formed from one kind of a resin composition, it can be simply and easily produced as compared with the case of using mixed fibers or conjugated fibers formed from many kinds of resins, and the resulting meltblown nonwoven fabric can have uniformity and no variability of properties.

Abstract: The invention provides a chlorine production catalyst that shows excellent reaction activity in the oxidation reaction of hydrogen chloride with oxygen into chlorine, is inexpensive and can be supplied stably, and is suited for use in a fluidized-bed reactor. The invention also provides a chlorine production process using the catalyst. The chlorine production catalyst of the invention includes spherical particles containing copper element (A), an alkali metal element (B) and a lanthanoid element (C) and having an average sphericity of not less than 0.80. The lanthanoid element (C) has a bond dissociation energy with oxygen at 298 K of 100 to 185 kcal/mol. The content of the copper element (A) in the catalyst is 0.3 wt % to 4.5 wt %.