Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermostable Flap endonuclease whose optimum temperature is 75° C. or more and DNA coding for (a) a protein consisting of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2 or (b) a protein with Flap endonuclease activity, consisting of an amino acid sequence where in the amino acid sequence (a), one or more amino acids are deleted, substituted or added. According to the present invention, there is provided a thermostable Flap endonuclease whose optimum temperature for reaction is 75° C. or more. Further, this enzyme is thermally stable, so it becomes possible to develop new techniques of conducting artificial homologous recombination or genetic shuffling highly efficiently by coupling the enzyme reaction with PCR.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a thermostable Flap endonuclease whose optimum temperature is 75° C. or more and DNA coding for (a) a protein consisting of the amino acid sequence shown in SEQ ID NO:2 or (b) a protein with Flap endonuclease activity, consisting of an amino acid sequence where in the amino acid sequence (a), one or more amino acids are deleted, substituted or added. According to the present invention, there is provided a thermostable Flap endonuclease whose optimum temperature for reaction is 75° C. or more. Further, this enzyme is thermally stable, so it becomes possible to develop new techniques of conducting artificial homologous recombination or genetic shuffling highly efficiently by coupling the enzyme reaction with PCR.

Abstract: A driving method for a liquid crystal device includes the steps of providing a first substrate with a unidirectionally aligned data electrode group and a second substrate with a select-electrode group aligned perpendicularly to the data electrode; applying a select pulse to the select electrodes; and providing a pause corresponding to at least one line before a data-pulse sequence is applied to the data-electrode group. The select pulse can be synchronized with the data-pulse sequence by shifting them a half line relative to each other so that the select pulse and the data pulse have opposite polarity in relation to each other. Alternatively, the select pulse is applied while the data pulse sequence is applied to the data electrode group. In the latter case, the time and/or voltage is determined so as to offset the effects of the reversed electric field generated during switching of the liquid crystal.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal provided between the paired substrates wherein domains whose threshold voltages are different from one another are finely distributed throughout the liquid crystal. In particular, the respective substrates each has a transparent electrode and an alignment film formed thereon in this order and the substrates are assembled to establish a given space therebetween, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal being injected into the given space wherein domains are finely distributed as set out above, thereby providing a a liquid crystal display device. The fine distribution is such that when a transmittance through inverted domains is 25%, the number of domains (microdomains) having a size of larger than 2 .mu.m.phi. in a field of 1 mm.sup.2 is not smaller than 300, preferably not smaller than 600, and the width of the threshold voltage within the domains is not smaller than 2 volts within a transmittance range of from 10 to 90%.

Abstract: A liquid crystal is dropped on one end portion of a bottom substrate that is coated with a sealing material in an outer peripheral portion. After a top substrate is laid on the bottom substrate, the liquid crystal is expanded from the one end portion of the bottom substrate toward the other end portion. If necessary, an air ejecting opening is formed in the sealing material at a position located in the other end portion of the bottom substrate. The surfaces of the top and bottom substrates may be formed with grooves for accommodating an excessive part of the liquid crystal at positions inside the sealing member. As a result, no air bubbles remain in the liquid crystal even if the charging of the liquid crystal is performed at the atmospheric pressure.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a liquid crystal composition which has a low viscosity and exhibits a high response speed while keeping the characteristic properties (e.g., orientation and switching performance) required of liquid crystal materials, a liquid crystal element based on said liquid crystal composition, and a process for producing said liquid crystal composition. The liquid crystal composition contains a clathrate compound of liquid crystal molecules with cyclodextrin or a derivative thereof. The clathrate compound functions to increase the free volume of liquid crystal molecules. The liquid crystal composition is prepared by dissolving in a solvent a liquid crystal and cyclodextrin (or a derivative thereof), thereby forming a clathrate compound and adding this clathrate compound to a base liquid crystal material.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display device such as an FLC display which is significantly reduced for the temperature dependence of the liquid crystal properties. A liquid crystal optical device 31 in which a plurality of transparent substrates 2a, 2b are opposed to each other at a predetermined gap 32, with transparent electrodes 3a, 3b and liquid crystal alignment films 4a, 4b being disposed, respectively, to the opposing surfaces and ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) 30 is disposed in the gap 32, wherein the ferroelectric liquid crystal 30 has a layer texture 30A, and the change of the layer tilt angle is less than 3.degree. within an entire temperature range in the smectic C* phase.

Abstract: An optical device according to this invention includes a phase modulating optical unit comprising a plurality of optically transparent base members each of which includes an optically transparent electrode and an alignment film formed in this order, and an optically transparent birefringent medium, wherein the optically transparent base members are spaced from one another at predetermined intervals so that the electrode and the alignment film of a base member is confronted to the electrode and the alignment film of another base member, and at least one kind of liquid crystal selected from the group consisting of ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC), antiferroelectric liquid crystal (AFLC) and smectic liquid crystal having an electro clinic effect (SmA) (or mixed liquid crystals thereof) is injected into gaps between the base members.

Abstract: A liquid crystal device comprises a pair of substrates and a liquid crystal provided between the paired substrates wherein domains whose threshold voltages are different from one another are finely distributed throughout the liquid crystal. In particular, the respective substrates each has a transparent electrode and an alignment film formed thereon in this order and the substrates are assembled to establish a given space therebetween, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal being injected into the given space wherein domains are finely distributed as set out above, thereby providing a a liquid crystal display device. The fine distribution is such that when a transmittance through inverted domains is 25%, the number of domains (microdomains) having a size of larger than 2 .mu.m.phi. in a field of 1 mm.sup.2 is not smaller than 300, preferably not smaller than 600, and the width of the threshold voltage within the domains is not smaller than 2 volts within a transmittance range of from 10 to 90%.

Abstract: A liquid crystal display device having fast response characteristics and enabling analog gray-scale display is provided. The liquid crystal display device is formed of a liquid crystal material having the chiral smectic C phase. The projection component on the substrates of the axial direction of a cone delineated by a liquid crystal molecule, and the projection component on the substrates of the axial direction of the liquid crystal molecule itself, are adapted to be coincident with the processing direction for uniaxial orientation of the substrates, this state being monostabilized as the initial state. On application of an electrical field, the liquid crystal molecule is rotated along the cone and the apparent tilt angle as viewed on the substrate surface is continuously changed in accordance with the strength of the applied electrical field. The intensity of the transmitted light is increased continuously with increasing tilt angle to obtain the continuous gray-scale or analog gray-scale.