Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for analyzing residual agricultural chemicals which comprises the steps of acting a reduced glutathione as a reactive substrate and a glutathione transferase serving as a catalyst for the reaction on a carbofuran derivative or a methomyl derivative as a carbamate type agricultural chemical of a new series to thus derivatize the agricultural chemical into a substance having a high choline esterase-inhibitory activity; reacting the substances formed through the derivatization reaction with a choline esterase; and then detecting the presence of the agricultural chemical as the new series of carbamate type one included in a sample to be examined on the basis of the changes in the choline esterase activity thus detected.

Abstract: There are provided a first belt-clutch mechanism switching power transmission to a first large-diameter pulley, and, at the same time, a second belt clutch mechanism switching power transmission to a second large-diameter pulley, and a first and a second belt clutch mechanism are provided with a first and a second arm members, tension clutch pulleys installed at point portions of these arm members, and actuators which rotate a first and a second arm members in such a way that a position at which a first no-end belt is wound on the first large-diameter pulley is switched to a position at which winding is avoided, and, at the same time, a position at which a second no-end belt is wound on a second large-diameter pulley is switched to a position at which winding is avoided.

Abstract: A grain images obtained by CCD line sensors are processed by binarization processing to obtain contour images of grains and images of colored portions in the grains. The images are displayed on a monitor screen of an operating panel 30. The contour images and the images of the colored portions are displayed in a superposed state. Box frames generated by a highlight display circuit in control means 12 are simultaneously displayed by being superposed on the contour images having defective portions, thus producing a highlight display of defective grains. The defective grains include a grain having a light colored portion and a grain having a dark colored portion.

Abstract: Grain or legume having an increased content of a functional component (?-aminobutyric acid) is obtained by humidifying grain (such as rice, wheat or corn) or legume (such as soybean and adzuki bean) by forcing the grain into an air having a temperature of 50° C. or more and a relative humidity of 90% or more such that a moisture content thereof rises within the range of 16.0% to 18.5%, and thereafter, drying the grain or legume.

Abstract: A method of producing parboiled rice that does not require waste water treatment equipment and that enriches the amount of ?-aminobutyric acid contained in the parboiled rice. The method includes partially milling raw material brown rice, wetting the partially milled rice grains by forced-air using moist air or mist, moisture-tempering the wetted rice grains, steam-boiling the water-tempered rice grains at normal pressure to heat the rice grains with steam, steam-boiling the rice grains heated in the normal pressure steam-boiling process using pressurized steam, cooling the rice grains steamed under pressure in the pressurized steam-boiling step to cool at least a surface of the rice grains, finish milling the rice grains cooled in the cooling step, and drying the finish-milled rice grains.

Abstract: The air valve includes a valve body for controlling operations to open and close the communication between an air pressure chamber and an air outlet, a piezoelectric element for generating driving force in the form of displacements, and a displacement enlarging mechanism for enlarging the small displacements generated by the piezoelectric element by the principle of a pry and applying the enlarged displacements to the valve body. The enlarged displacements cause a large and sufficient gap to be developed between the air pressure chamber and the air outlet when a voltage is applied to the piezoelectric element. When the applying of voltage to the piezoelectric element is stopped, the resetting force of the piezoelectric element itself causes the gap to be closed quickly.

Abstract: A processing method and an apparatus for producing ethanol that reduces the number of separation steps to the maximum extent possible and simplifies the production configuration while enabling the grits, pericarp and germ to be extracted with ease. The method includes a tempering step of wetting corn grains with a certain amount of water, a dehulling step of dehulling the corn grains while maintaining their shape without breaking the wetted grains, a pulverization step of pulverizing the dehulled corn grains into pieces, a separation step of separating grits and bran from the broken pieces, and a milling step of further milling the separated grits.

Abstract: Milled rice grains are primarily immersed, and at least surface layers of the grains are converted to the alpha-type. The rice grains are then preliminarily dried and consummatively polished, and are further subjected to secondary immersing and secondary alpha-type conversion. During these processes, there occurs no cracking on the surfaces of the rice grains. The consummatively polished rice grains are then separated into individual single grains. The separated individual single grains are finally dried whereby the finished product of instant rice is obtained. The instant rice containing polished rice has good appearance and quality.

Abstract: A color sorting apparatus capable of displaying images of granules picked up by a CCD sensor on a panel and performing sensibility control of defective granules while observing the displayed images is provided. The color sorting apparatus comprises a contour processor for outputting contour binary data from the picked-up images and a contour threshold, a first defective determination circuit for outputting the defective part of the granule having a predetermined area or more of part exceeding a first threshold in the form of first defective pixel binary data, and a second defective determination circuit for outputting the defective part of the granule having a part exceeding a second threshold being greater than the first threshold in the form of second defective pixel binary data. The first defective pixel binary data are displayed on a monitor for thin coloration. The second defective pixel binary data are displayed on a monitor for partial coloration.

Abstract: In a rice huller, a first small-diameter pulley and a second large-diameter pulley are attached to a first roll shaft. A first large-diameter pulley and a second small-diameter pulley are attached to a second roll shaft. This configuration makes it possible to switch between a first driving state in which a rice hulling operation is performed by passing and driving a belt between the first small-diameter pulley on the first roll shaft and the first large-diameter pulley on the second roll shaft and a second driving state in which a rice hulling operation is performed by passing and driving a belt between the second large-diameter pulley on the first roll shaft and the second small-diameter pulley on the second roll shaft.

Abstract: An optical cracked-grain selector that does not mistakenly identify normal grains of rice having no cracks as cracked grains due to the presence of the embryonic portion and/or surface scratches when optically identifying cracked grains of rice mixed in with material rice grains. An identification part in a cracked grain identification unit obtains a first rice grain image (having an embryonic portion and scratches) based on light passed through the rice grain that is received by a first CCD sensor built into a CCD camera of a photoreaction detection unit and a second rice grain image (having cracks, an embryo portion and scratches) based on light passed through the rice grain received by a second CCD sensor built into the CCD camera, acquires an image of the cracks by calculating a difference in the amount of light between the two rice grain images, and identifies a cracked grain.

Abstract: By use of a device having a construction similar to that of a grain dryer, high-humidity air is applied to brown rice that is being transferred in a circulating manner through the device, the moisture of the brown rice is increased at water addition rates of 0.1 to 0.3%/hour in the range of 16.5 to 18.5% and the brown rice is thereafter left at rest in the device, in a state where blowing of air and circulated transfer of the brown rice are stopped. As a result, the functional component of ?-aminobutyric acid (GABA) contained in the brown rice is increased.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an impact crushing apparatus that mills grain between a milling cylinder and a screen. Each of a plurality of blades mounted along the circumference of the milling cylinder comprises a columnar body with a square cross section, cutting tools disposed on all ridges of the columnar body, and mounting parts formed at the top and bottom of the columnar body. Each blade is attached to the milling cylinder in such a way that any one of the four directions of the blade can be selected by rotating the blade around the central axis of the columnar body.

Abstract: In a rice huller, a first small-diameter pulley and a second large-diameter pulley are attached to a first roll shaft. A first large-diameter pulley and a second small-diameter pulley are attached to a second roll shaft. This configuration makes it possible to switch between a first driving state in which a rice hulling operation is performed by passing and driving a belt between the first small-diameter pulley on the first roll shaft and the first large-diameter pulley on the second roll shaft and a second driving state in which a rice hulling operation is performed by passing and driving a belt between the second large-diameter pulley on the first roll shaft and the second small-diameter pulley on the second roll shaft.