Abstract: The present invention relates to thermostable luciferase of firefly wherein an amino acid at the 217-position of the amino acid sequence of wild-type firefly luciferase or an amino acid equivalent to the amino acid at the 217-position of luciferase of GENJI firefly or HEIKE firefly is converted into a hydrophobic amino acid, a gene encoding said thermostable luciferase, a vector comprising the gene encoding said thermostable luciferase inserted therein, and a process for the preparation of thermostable firefly luciferase comprising use of said vector.

Abstract: The present invention provides industrially useful luciferase. Mutant luciferase of the invention is produced by culturing a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia which harbors a recombinant DNA containing the mutant luciferase gene of a firefly. Mutant luciferase can produce red, orange or green color of light which can not be produced by wild type luciferase. Mutant luciferase can be used to measure ATP accurately in a colored solution such as red (e.g., blood), orange, or green in which wild-type luciferase has not provided reliable results.

Abstract: A process of forming an interconnection layer of polysilicon in a contact hole formed in an interlayer insulating film comprises opening the contact hole, depositing doped and nondoped polysilicon films in sequence, and etching back the polysilicon films by the reactive ion etching technique with at least one carbon fluoride gas to obtain the interconnection layer buried in the contact hole.

Abstract: Disclosed is a purified luciferase and a method for making it. The luciferase is obtained from Luciola cruciata. The luciferase has a pH range for stabililty of 6.5-9.0 and a optimum pH range of 8.0-9.5. The enzyme does not act on ADP, CTP, UTP and GTP.

Abstract: A method for the decolorization of waste water containing coloring matters comprising dyestuff and/or pigment, in which PVA is added to a waste water containing coloring matters as above mentioned so as to catch the coloring matters in the waste water into the PVA, a precipitant of the coloring matters is added to the resultant waste water so as to render the coloring matters absorbed onto the PVA insoluble, a coagulant of PVA is added to the waste water so as to make the PVA insoluble, and then the thus insolubilized PVA containing the coloring matters is separated for the recovery thereof, and thus the decolorization of a waste water containing the coloring matters can be done skillfully and economically by eliminating the drawbacks in the conventional arts.

Abstract: A method for separation of PVA from an aqueous solution thereof such as the waste water containing PVA from the pretreatment of a textile product, in which a peroxosulfate such as ammonium peroxosulfate is added to an aqueous PVA solution, particularly in an acidic condition with addition of sulfuric acid, at a temperature above 70.degree. C. for the separation of PVA, and as a result the thus separated PVA contains only a small amount of water in the range of about 60-70% and can easily be treated.

Abstract: A luciferase gene isolated from Luciola cruciata (Japanese firefly) coding for an amino acid sequence shown in FIG. 4 and a novel recombinant DNA characterized by incorporating a gene coding for luciferase into a vector DNA are disclosed. There is also disclosed a method of producing luciferase which comprises culturing in a medium a microorganism containing a recombinant DNA having inserted a gene coding for luciferase in a vector DNA and belonging to the genus Escherichia capable of producing luciferase and collecting luciferase from the culture.

Abstract: A bacteriophage which is characterized by the presence of one or more restriction enzyme sites downstream from the late promoter up to the cohesive end, and none or a permissible number of restriction enzyme sites upstream from the late promoter to the cohesive end is useful as an expression vector. The vector can be used to obtain high expression of DNA inserted at the restriction enzyme site downstream from the late promoter up to the cohesive end.

Abstract: A method for preventing the adhesion of scale on the sealing mechanism of a high pressure steamer in a process of continuous scouring of a long cloth therein, which comprises washing the cloth to be subjected to scouring with the use of weak acidic water with a pH of 5-6 outside of the steamer body, passing the thus washed cloth through the sealing mechanism of the steamer body, and then applying a scouring agent solution to the cloth in the interior of the steamer body. A durable sealing mechanism can be offered by preventing the damage of the sealing mechanism.

Abstract: A method for continuous bleaching of a cloth in a high pressure steamer with use of hydrogen peroxide, comprising soaking a cloth to be bleached with a neutral or slightly alkaline hydrogen peroxide solution outside the high pressure steamer body, squeezing the cloth, introducing the resultant cloth continuously in the steamer body maintained with wet-heat at a temperature above 100.degree. C., and wet-heat treating the cloth therein while maintaining the total water content of the cloth to not less than 170% by applying hot water repeatedly to the cloth by using liquid apply means provided in the steamer body. A cotton cloth can uniformly and eminently be bleached in a short time continuously.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method of controlling an electrocoating bath using an ion exchange resin. The ion exchange resin is maintained in a porous container in a suspended state in the electrocoating bath, and is used in a quantity of not more than the chemical equivalent of excess counter-ion to be removed from the bath. Bath control is easily achieved without any coagulation trouble as often observed in conventional column methods.

Abstract: A method for desizing, scouring and bleaching a textile product, in which a natural cellulose-type textile product is soaked with a neutral aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, steamed in a saturated water vapor atmosphere at 120.degree. C. to 160.degree. C., soaked immediately with a hot caustic soda solution without cooling and washing under the same saturated water vapor, and steamed again in a saturated water vapor atmosphere at 120.degree. C. to 160.degree. C.

Abstract: A method for reforming a cellulose fiber cloth comprising applying an aqueous solution of a monocyclic aromatic hydrocarbon dissolved in a water soluble organic solvent to a cellulose fiber cloth and soaking the resultant cloth in a non-dried state with a concentrated sulfuric acid solution.

Abstract: An apparatus for continuously applying a treating solution as foam to a cloth, comprising a U-shaped foam tank for storing foam of a treating solution such as a dye solution supplied from an apparatus for generating foam of the treating solution, guide rolls for transporting a cloth to be treated continuously through the foam tank so as to adhere the foam of the treating solution to the cloth while the cloth is passing through the foam tank, and a means for controlling the amount of foam adhered to the cloth in taking out the cloth from the foam tank. By using this apparatus, a necessary and sufficient amount of the treating solution for the subsequent heat treatment of the cloth can be applied to the cloth uniformly with no need of removing the excess of treating solution and/or solvent from the cloth prior to the heat treatment.

Abstract: A method for the preparation of a novel recombinant DNA, which comprises (1) cleaving with an endonuclease a temperate phage DNA having an endonuclease-sensitive region not in the DNA segment participating in the replication of phage DNA and the integration of phage DNA into a host chromosome but at least in the DNA segment carrying genetic information for the coat protein production and another DNA carrying intended genetic information, (2) adding DNA-ligase to the mixture of both cleft DNA's, and (3) recovering from the mixture a phage DNA having its coat protein producing ability deleted by the replacement of the DNA segments carrying genetic information for the coat protein production with a DNA fragment carrying the intended information.

Abstract: A method for preparing a novel recombinant DNA, which comprises (1) cleaving with an endonuclease a phage DNA having an endonuclease-sensitive region not in the DNA segment participating in temperate phage DNA replication and integration of DNA into a host chromosome but in other DNA segments, a temperate phage DNA having an endonuclease-sensitive region in the DNA segment carrying genetic information for the production of coat protein, and a DNA carrying the intended genetic information, (2) mixing together all fragments produced by said cleaving, (3) adding DNA ligase to the mixture, and (4) recovering from the resulting mixture a phage DNA having its coat protein producing ability deleted by the replacement of the DNA segment carrying genetic information for coat protein production with a DNA fragment carrying the intended genetic information.

Abstract: A novel bacteriophage whose DNA molecule has endonuclease-sensitivity only in the DNA region carrying genetic information for the production of phage coat proteins can be obtained by isolating an endonuclease-resistant mutant from one of the lambdoid bacteriophages and mating the resulting bacteriophage with a lambdoid phage having endonuclease-sensitivity in the DNA region carrying genetic information for the production of coat proteins.

Abstract: A process for treating waste water containing polyvinyl alcohol (designated hereinafter as P.V.A.) comprising separation of the P.V.A. in the form of a compound with boric acid which is produced at pH 8 to 10 by a reaction with boric acid or borax added in the presence of an inorganic salt such as sodium sulfate, and using thus regenerated liquid repeatedly, and a process of utilizing waste containing P.V.A. for desizing textile.