Abstract: Provided is an antimicrobial raw material having excellent antibacterial and corrosion-resistance properties, which can be directly formed as a film even on a plastic substrate with low heat-resistance or a substrate whereof the color or properties are likely to change due to heat, and this can be achieved at relatively low cost. The antimicrobial raw material is a laminated structure which comprises a substrate layer and a copper-tin alloy layer disposed on the substrate layer, and which has a thickness ranging from 5 nm to 200 nm. The substrate layer is made of resin, natural fiber, or paper, the resin having the deflection temperature under load being 115° C. or lower when measured in accordance with ASTM-D648-56 under a load of 1820 kPa. The copper-tin alloy layer contains over 60 at % but no more than 90 at % of copper and 10 at % or more but less than 40 at % of tin.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a fluorescence measuring apparatus capable of determining whether accuracy of measuring fluorescence lifetime is deteriorated or not due to adjustment of the apparatus. The fluorescence measuring apparatus for measuring fluorescence emitted when an objects to be measured are irradiated with laser light includes: a laser light source that irradiates each of the objects to be measured with intensity-modulated laser light; a light-receiving unit that receives fluorescence emitted when each of the objects to be measured is irradiated with the laser light; a signal processing unit that determines a fluorescence lifetime using a signal of the fluorescence received by the light-receiving unit; and a determining unit that determines whether or not a fluorescence lifetime dispersion of the objects caused by amplification of the signal of the fluorescence performed by the light-receiving unit or by the signal processing unit is larger than a predetermined value.

Abstract: It is an object to provide a lubricating oil composition having low-temperature properties and fuel efficiency at high temperatures which are superior to those of conventional lubricating oil compositions, and to provide a viscosity modifier for lubricating oils and an additive composition for lubricating oils which are used for obtaining said composition. The viscosity modifier for lubricating oils of the present invention comprises a propylene copolymer (A) which has a density of 875 kg/m3 or less and which comprises 60 mole % or more of structural unit derived from propylene.

Abstract: The disclosed composite copper particle includes a core particle including copper, and a coating layer including a copper-tin alloy and formed on the surface of the core particle, the composite copper particle having a particle diameter at 50% cumulative volume in the particle size distribution of 0.1 to 10.0 ?m. The alloy is preferably CuSn. The ratio of tin to the the composite copper particle is preferably 3.0 to 12.0 mass %. The composite copper particle is suitably obtained by a method including a step of mixing a reducing agent for tin and an aqueous slurry containing a tin source compound and core particles which include copper, to form a coating layer including a copper-tin alloy on a surface of the core particles.

Abstract: Provided is a new 5 V class spinel exhibiting an operating potential of 4.5 V or more (5 V class), which can suppress the amount of gas generation during high temperature cycles. Suggested is a manganese spinel-type lithium transition metal oxide represented by formula: Li[NiyMn2-(a+b)-y-zLiaTibMz]O4 (wherein 0?z?0.3, 0.3?y<0.6, and M=at least one or more metal elements selected from the group consisting of Al, Mg, Fe and Co), in which in the above formula, the following relationships are satisfied: a>0, b>0, and 2?b/a?8.

Abstract: A solar-cell sealant that has excellent properties such as transparency, flexibility, adhesiveness, heat resistance, appearance, cross-linking characteristics, electrical characteristics, and calenderability. A solar-cell sealant that contains an ethylene/?-olefin/unconjugated-polyene copolymer satisfying requirements (a1) through (a3). Requirement (a1) is that constituent units derived from ethylene constitute 80-90 mol %, constituent units derived from C3-20 ?-olefin constitute 9.99-19.99 mol %, and constituent units derived from an unconjugated polyene constitute 0.01-5.0 mol % of said copolymer. Requirement (a2) is that the MFR of said copolymer, as measured in accordance with ASTM D1238 at 190° C. under a 2.16 kg load, be at least 2 g/10 min. and less than 10 g/10 min. Requirement (a3) is that the Shore A hardness of said copolymer, as measured in accordance with ASTM D2240, be 60 to 85.

Abstract: There is provided an opening and closing apparatus for a fuel lid, including: a pushrod configured to shift between a locking posture and an unlocking posture and to reciprocate between a pushed-in position and a pushed-out position; a follower assembled to the pushrod so as to rotate relatively to the pushrod about the center line and to move together with the pushrod in the axial directions; and a case supporting the pushrod, the follower and a biasing member. The case includes a rod cam portion for rotating the pushrod and a follower cam portion for rotating the follower. The follower cam portion includes a plurality of follower securing portions for securing the follower so as to hold the pushrod in the pushed-in position against biasing force exerted by the biasing member.

Abstract: A method is for molding a gas hydrate pellet for improving convenience of handling of a natural gas hydrate during transportation and storage, and thereby improving the practical use of the natural gas hydrate. Gas hydrate slurry is fed in a compression chamber, and pressure and compression are applied to the gas hydrate slurry by advancing a compression plunger. At that time, a stroking speed of the compression plunger is set minimum, preferably less than a value expressed by a stroke length of the compression plunger at compression×10?2 (m/min. By advancing the compression plunger at low speed, binding between particles of the gas hydrate is tightened, thereby the gas hydrate pellet with increased shearing strength can be molded.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a resin composition which enables formation of a resin layer having excellent electrical performance including high frequency performance and appropriate solubility with desmear solution required on a material used in manufacturing of a printed wiring board. To achieve the object, the resin composition used for constituting a resin layer on a metal layer surface of a laminate includes a polyphenylene ether compound and 10 parts by mass to 100 parts by mass of a styrene-butadiene block copolymer and 0.1 parts by mass to 100 parts by mass of a component promoting solubility with desmear solution against 100 parts by mass of the polyphenylene ether compound.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present invention relate to a multifocal lens having a diffractive optical power region and a progressive optical power region. Embodiments of the present invention provide for the proper alignment and positioning of each of these regions, the amount of optical power provided by each of the regions, the optical design of the progressive optical power region, and the size and shape of each of the regions. The combination of these design parameters allows for an optical design having less unwanted astigmatism and distortion as well as both a wider channel width and a shorter channel length compared to conventional PALs. Embodiments of the present invention may also provide a new, inventive far-intermediate distance zone and may further provide for increased vertical stability of vision within a zone of the lens.

Abstract: There is stably provided a hydrophilic cured product, such as a single-layer film, in which anionic hydrophilic groups are concentrated at a surface that is in contact with the air and which is excellent in transparency and adhesion to a substrate and tends to be rarely cracked. The hydrophilic cured product or single-layer film comprising a resin composition is produced by applying a mixture containing a polyvalent monomer (II) having two or more (meth) acryloyl groups and a compound (IV) having a specific group and a sulfonic acid group to a substrate or the like, drying the mixture if necessary, and then performing polymerization.

Abstract: A method for producing a polyisocyanate includes a purification step of purifying an unpurified polyisocyanate, the purification step including a tar ingredient removal step of removing tar ingredients from an unpurified polyisocyanate, and a distillation step of distilling the unpurified polyisocyanate from which tar ingredients have been removed through a dividing wall distillation column.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a copper foil inexpensive and sufficient in tensile strength even after heat treatment. The copper foil includes zinc in a content range of 0.02% by mass to 2.7% by mass in the total mass of the entire copper foil, and if the regions in thicknesses direction from both surfaces of the copper foil where occupies 5% by mass in the total mass of the entire copper foil are referred to as the respective external layers and a region between one external layer and the other external layer is referred to as an internal layer, the internal layer includes copper as a main element and includes 100 ppm or more of one or mixture of small amount-elements selected from carbon, sulfur, chlorine and nitrogen, and includes zinc at 10% or more in the total mass of zinc included in the entire copper foil.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a polythiol compound, comprising: a step for reacting 2-mercaptoethanol with a defined epihalohydrin compound at a temperature of 10° C. to 50° C. to obtain a defined polyalcohol compound; a step for reacting the polyalcohol compound thus obtained with thiourea in the presence of hydrogen chloride to obtain an isothiuronium salt; a step for adding, while maintaining a reaction solution containing the isothiuronium salt thus obtained at a temperature of 15° C. to 60° C., aqueous ammonia to the reaction solution within 80 minutes, thereby hydrolyzing the isothiuronium salt to obtain a defined polythiol compound; and a step for adding hydrochloric acid which is a concentration of 25% to 36% to the solution containing the polythiol compound thus obtained, washing the solution at a temperature of 10° C. to 50° C. to purify the polythiol compound.

Abstract: The present invention generally relates to integrating electronic components into an electro-active frame for driving electro-active focusing lenses. This is accomplished in a cosmetically pleasing manner that allows a platform of frame systems to be built from a single electronic module. Specifically, the present invention discloses controlling an electro-active lens in a deliberate, hands free manner that gives the user control of the electro-active lens.

Abstract: There is provided an electrode foil, which can show superior light scattering, while preventing short circuit between electrodes. The electrode foil of the present invention comprises a metal foil having a thickness of from 1 ?m to 250 ?m, wherein the electrode foil comprises, on at least one outermost surface thereof, a light-scattering surface having a Pv/Pp ratio of 2.0 or higher, wherein the Pv/Pp ratio is a ratio of a maximum profile valley depth Pv of a profile curve to a maximum profile peak height Pp of the profile curve as measured in a rectangular area of 181 ?m×136 ?m in accordance with JIS B 0601-2001.

Abstract: The present invention provides an easy process for purifying phenol by separating carbonyl compounds through selective hydrogenation of the compounds to the corresponding alcohols then distillation. The phenol purification process of the present invention comprises bringing phenol into contact with a copper-based catalyst in the presence of hydrogen to convert carbonyl compounds contained in the phenol to the corresponding alcohol compounds, and separating the alcohol compounds and phenol by distillation.

Abstract: Provided is a method for producing a polythiol compound, comprising: a step for reacting a polyalcohol compound represented by the following formula (4) with thiourea in the presence of hydrogen chloride to obtain an isothiuronium salt; a step for adding, while maintaining a reaction solution containing the isothiuronium salt thus obtained at a temperature of 20° C. to 60° C., aqueous ammonia to the reaction solution within 80 minutes, thereby hydrolyzing the isothiuronium salt to obtain a polythiol compound containing, as a main component, one kind or two or more kinds selected from the group consisting of compounds represented by the following formulae (6) to (8); and a step for adding hydrochloric acid which is a concentration of 30% to 36% to the solution containing the polythiol compound thus obtained, washing the solution at a temperature of 30° C. to 55° C. to purify the polythiol compound.

Abstract: An encapsulating sheet for solar cell for encapsulating a solar cell, in which, in a case in which a square sheet obtained by cutting the sheet so that a planar shape becomes a square shape is heated at the atmospheric pressure and 150° C. for 15 minutes and is thus thermally shrunk, when a length of one side of the square sheet before being thermally shrunk is represented by L, a direction in parallel with a first side is considered as a first direction, and a direction perpendicular to the first side is considered as a second direction, and in the thermally-shrunk square sheet, a shortest length in the first direction is represented by M1, and a shortest length in the second direction is represented by M2, 0?|(M1?M2)/L|?0.4 is satisfied.

Abstract: A laminated iron core manufacturing method in a blanking die apparatus having multiple machining stations is provided. The method includes feeding a belt-shaped workpiece progressively in a longitudinal direction in the blanking die apparatus, operating cutting tools provided in the respective machining stations simultaneously to perform predetermined blanking operations on the progressively fed workpiece and finally perform a contour blanking operation on the workpiece so as to form core pieces, and laminating the core pieces within or outside the blanking die apparatus to thereby manufacture a laminated iron core. An auxiliary cutting tool is operated to form a disposal hole by partly blanking a scrap forming area of the workpiece simultaneously with the operations of the cutting tools of the multiple machining stations, to thereby secure a load balance of the blanking die apparatus in the feeding direction.