Abstract: According to the present invention, a mutant rhodocytin lacking platelet aggregation ability is provided. According to the present invention, a pharmaceutical composition including a mutant rhodocytin lacking platelet aggregation ability is provided. According to the present invention, there is provided a method for inhibiting platelet aggregation by a platelet aggregating substance, including administering a pharmaceutical composition including a mutant rhodocytin lacking platelet aggregation ability to a subject in need thereof.

Abstract: The present invention provides an anion exchange resin capable of producing an electrolyte membrane for a fuel cell, a binder for forming an electrode catalyst layer and a battery electrode catalyst layer. The anion exchange resin of the present invention has a hydrophobic unit, a hydrophilic unit and divalent fluorine-containing groups. The hydrophobic unit has divalent hydrophobic groups composed of one aromatic ring or a plurality of aromatic rings that are repeated via carbon-carbon bond. The hydrophilic unit has divalent hydrophilic groups composed of one aromatic ring or a plurality of aromatic rings, at least one of which has an anion exchange group, that are repeated via carbon-carbon bond. The divalent fluorine-containing groups have a specific structure and are bonded via carbon-carbon bond to the hydrophobic unit and/or the hydrophilic unit and/or a moiety other than these units.

Abstract: To spread the use of catalysts for fuel cells, there is a demand to develop a catalyst that uses less Pt and has a high power generation efficiency. An electrode catalyst includes a support particle containing a metal oxide and a precious-metal alloy supported on the support particle. The support particle includes multiple branches, a hole between the branches, and a pore. The pore is surrounded by the branches and the hole. The precious-metal alloy includes a precious metal element and at least one or more transition elements.

Abstract: The present invention relates to means for manufacturing micro-beads (polymer micro-particles) comprising thermoplastic polymer and having the average particle size of 10 ?m or less, and extending into the nano-range. An original filament comprising a thermoplastic polymer is passed through an orifice under an air pressure (P1) and guided to a spray chamber under a pressure (P2; where P1>P2). The original filament having passed through the orifice is heated and melted under irradiation by an infrared beam, and is sprayed in microparticulate form from the orifice by the flow of air generated by the pressure differential between P1 to P2, whereby micro-beads comprising thermoplastic polymer micro-particles having an average particle size of 10 ?m or less, and even less than 1 ?m are manufactured.

Abstract: A blood purifier comprises hollow fiber membranes allowing a dialysing fluid or a filtrated fluid to flow outside. The membrane has an effective length of 10 mm or more and 150 mm or less. A maximum value of a permeation flux Jv obtained by dividing a volume of a permeate fluid permeating through the membranes by a membrane area of the hollow fiber membranes and time, is represented as Jvmax. A linear velocity of blood flowing in the membrane is represented as uB. A pressure difference between blood flowing inside the membranes and a fluid flowing outside the membranes is represented as TMP. When a filling blood volume into the membranes per unit membrane area is 20 mL/m2 or more and 35 mL/m2 or less and Jvmax/uB has a value of 0.00015 or more and 0.0006 or less, a TMP change rate is 0.95 or more and 1.05 or less.

Abstract: Provided is a lead-free piezoelectric material having a high Curie temperature, a satisfactory mechanical quality factor, and a satisfactory Young's modulus, and a piezoelectric element and a multilayered piezoelectric element each using the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material contains 0.04 mol % or more to 2.00 mol % or less of Cu with respect to 1 mol of a perovskite-type metal oxide represented by the following general formula: (KvBiwBa1-v-w)1-yNax(NbyTi1-y)O3 where relationships of 0<v?0.39, 0<w?0.39, 0.9?w/v?1.1, 0.80?x?0.95, and 0.85?y?0.95 are satisfied.

Abstract: An anion exchange resin having a hydrophobic unit with divalent hydrophobic groups bonded to each other via an ether bond, the divalent hydrophobic groups being composed of one aromatic ring, or being composed of a plurality of aromatic rings which are bonded to each other via a divalent hydrocarbon group, carbon-carbon bond or the like; and a hydrophilic unit having divalent hydrophilic groups bonded to each other via carbon-carbon bond, the divalent hydrophilic groups being composed of one aromatic ring, or being composed of a plurality of aromatic rings which are bonded to each other via a divalent hydrocarbon group or carbon-carbon bond, the aromatic ring or at least one of the aromatic rings having an anion exchange group are bonded via carbon-carbon bond.

Abstract: A fuel cell system and a method of operating the same is provided that is capable of reducing degradation of a cathode catalyst of a fuel cell. A fuel cell system is provided that includes a fuel cell having a catalyst used for an anode, wherein a carrier of the catalyst is composed of a material with a property where electric resistance in an oxygen containing atmosphere is greater than electric resistance in a hydrogen atmosphere; and a control device configured to control the fuel cell, when supply of fuel gas is stopped during stoppage of operation of the fuel cell, to consume all or part of the fuel gas in a fuel gas chamber, followed by introducing oxygen containing gas into the fuel gas chamber.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material excellent in piezoelectricity. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type complex oxide represented by the following General Formula (1). A(ZnxTi(1-x))yM(1-y)O3??(1) wherein A represents at least one kind of element containing at least a Bi element and selected from a trivalent metal element; M represents at least one kind of element of Fe, Al, Sc, Mn, Y, Ga, and Yb; x represents a numerical value satisfying 0.4?x?0.6; and y represents a numerical value satisfying 0.1?y?0.9.

Abstract: The first object is to increase the life of a selective CO methanation catalyst, and the second object is to enhance the CO removal rate of a selective CO methanation catalyst to reduce the outlet CO concentration in a wide temperature range. Provided a selective CO methanation catalyst including a supported metal catalyst which selectively methanizes CO in a hydrogen-rich gas containing CO and CO2 and a coating layer which covers a surface of the supported metal catalyst, has many pores, and is configured to reduce a CO concentration on the surface of the supported metal catalyst.

Abstract: Separators of multiple types capable of supplying and diffusing fluids such as an anode gas, cathode gas and coolant uniformly are prepared and combined to construct a fuel cell stack. Such a cell stack (20) for fuel cells includes separators of at least two types (types CA, C, A, C, CW and AW) for anode gas and cathode gas. Each separator is such that a corrosion-resistance layer is formed on at least one face of a metal plate (30) and a fluid supply and diffusion layer for the corresponding gas is formed by an electrically conductive porous layer on the corrosion-resistant layer. The at least two separators are stacked so as to face each other with at least an electrolyte membrane and catalyst layers on both sides of the membrane (a new membrane electrode assembly N-MEA) being sandwiched between the fluid supply and diffusion layers of the separators.

Abstract: A metallic separator for fuel cells having a metal plate, an electroconductive coating layer covering at least a surface in front and back surfaces of the metal plate which contacts a raw material and/or a reaction product, and an electroconductive channel-forming member disposed on a surface of the coating layer and forming a channel for the raw material and/or the reaction product and/or a channel for a cooling medium for cooling. A surface layer on the metal plate has a tensile residual stress within such a range that no stress-corrosion cracking occurs.

Abstract: Provided is a hydrogen refining pressure-boosting device which is durable even in a high-pressure environment. This hydrogen refining pressure-boosting device produces, from a hydrogen-containing gas, a refined hydrogen gas having higher pressure and higher purity than the hydrogen-containing gas. The hydrogen refining pressure-boosting device is equipped with multiple stacked cell structures, and a pressing structure that applies tightening stress in the direction in which the cell structures are stacked. In this hydrogen refining pressure-boosting device the flow path surface of a cathode-side separator is sized so as to be contained on the inside of the flow path surface of an anode-side separator, in the direction of a plane parallel to a solid polymer electrolyte membrane.

Abstract: The present invention relates to polyvinyl sulfonic acid comprising a vinyl sulfonic acid unit represented by a specific general formula (1), wherein the molar amount of sulfonic acid groups derived from vinyl sulfonic acid monomers with respect to the molar amount of total monomer units is 50.0 to 98.0 mol %, and the polyvinyl sulfonic acid has an absorbance of 0.1 or greater (aqueous solution: 0.2 mass %, cell length: 10 mm) in a wavelength range of 255 to 800 nm.

Abstract: Provided are methods of manufacturing an oriented ceramics containing sodium niobate and a raw material thereof. Specifically, provided is a sodium niobate powder, including cuboidal sodium niobate particles having an average side length of 0.1 ?m or more to 100 ?m or less, at least one face of the cuboid including a (100) plane in pseudo-cubic notation, in which the sodium niobate powder has a perovskite single-phase structure.

Abstract: [Problem to be solved] To provide a pouring control method, for a ladle-tilting automatic pouring device, where the operation for identification of the parameters, which normally takes much time to complete, can take less time and the device can pour with a high degree of precision by sequentially updating pouring model parameters according to the pouring situation.

Abstract: Provided is a piezoelectric material that achieves both high piezoelectric performance and high Curie temperature. In addition, provided are a piezoelectric element, a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device, which use the piezoelectric material. The piezoelectric material includes a perovskite-type metal oxide that is expressed by the following general formula (1): xBaTiO3-yBiFeO3-zBi(M0.5Ti0.5)O3 (1), where M represents at least one type of element selected from the group consisting of Mg and Ni, x satisfies 0.25?x?0.75, y satisfies 0.15?y?0.70, z satisfies 0.05?z?0.60, and x+y+z=1 is satisfied.

Abstract: Provided is a method for efficiently manufacturing fine metal particles applicable as a fuel cell electrode catalyst. Provided is a method of manufacturing fine metal particles, including the step of: a hydrogen bubbling step to perform bubbling to a reaction solution, wherein: the reaction solution is prepared by allowing seeds of fine metal particles in a dispersed state and a water soluble noble metal precursor to co-exist in a water-containing solvent; and the bubbling is performed with a reaction gas containing a hydrogen gas, is provided.

Abstract: Provided is an oriented piezoelectric ceramic of satisfactory piezoelectricity, which includes a metal oxide represented by (1?x)NaNbO3-xBaTiO3. Also provided are a piezoelectric element using the oriented piezoelectric ceramic which includes the metal oxide represented by (1?x)NaNbO3-xBaTiO3, and a liquid discharge head, an ultrasonic motor, and a dust removing device which use the piezoelectric element. An oriented piezoelectric ceramic includes as a main component a metal oxide represented by the following general formula (1), in which the oriented piezoelectric ceramic has a lead content and a potassium content that are each 1,000 ppm or less: (1?x)NaNbO3-xBaTiO3 . . . General formula (1), where a relationship of 0<x<0.3 is satisfied.

Abstract: A metallic separator for fuel cells having a metal plate, an electroconductive coating layer covering at least a surface in front and back surfaces of the metal plate which contacts a raw material and/or a reaction product, and an electroconductive channel-forming member disposed on a surface of the coating layer and forming a channel for the raw material and/or the reaction product and/or a channel for a cooling medium for cooling. A surface layer on the metal plate has a tensile residual stress within such a range that no stress-corrosion cracking occurs.