Abstract: There is provided an immunoassay by which the amount of human medullasin present inside granulocytes, which are one leukocyte component in blood, can be determined with high accuracy and with good reproducibility. Also provided is an immunoassay of medullasin, wherein when measuring the medullasin in blood using an anti-human medullasin antibody, the determination of the amount of human medullasin in a blood sample using said anti-human medullasin antibody is carried out after treating the blood sample with an aqueous liquid having a specific osmotic pressure different to the osmotic pressure of blood to completely break up the leukocytes. Also provided is a method of diagnosing multiple sclerosis characterized in that the human medullasin content of a blood sample is measured using an immunoassay, and the onset of multiple sclerosis and the extent of the disease is diagnosed according to the size of, or changes in, this measured value.

Abstract: An IC card reader is provided for reading data stored in an IC card with radio communication and inputting the data into, for example, a personal computer. The IC card reader includes a card holder and a fastening mechanism which attaches the card holder to a data reading table detachably. This structure provides for ease of usage of the card reader to a user in two selectable modes. In the first mode, the stored data may be inputted into the computer only by passing the IC card over the data reading table instantaneously. In the second mode, the user may insert the IC card into the card holder fitted on the data reading table to transmit data to the compute through radio communication.

Abstract: In order to monitor a state of a battery, a threshold value of an internal impedance of the battery is first determined. It is prepared an approximate expression indicating a correlation between a residual capacity of the battery and an internal impedance of the battery which is greater than the threshold value. The internal impedance of the battery is then measured. When the measured internal impedance is the threshold value or less, the residual capacity is determined as an initial value. When the measured internal impedance is greater than the threshold value, the residual capacity is monitored with the approximate expression.

Abstract: Clogging of a distillation column by polymerization caused by a change of the production rate of (meth)acrylic acid, is prevented to carry out a stabilized operation over a long period. A process for producing (meth)acrylic acid, which includes a purification step wherein a (meth)acrylic acid-containing material to be purified is supplied to and distilled by a distillation column, wherein during a cut operation in which the production rate of (meth)acrylic acid is reduced by &agr;% relative to the production rate of (meth)acrylic acid during the ordinary operation, the liquid/gas flow rate in the distillation column is adjusted to be at least (100−&agr;/2)% of the liquid/gas flow rate during the ordinary operation.

Abstract: In a distillation apparatus, a production process and a purification method of readily polymerizable compounds, a problem of the invention is to solve a serious plugging problem in a large-sized distillation column as in the commercial equipment and to provide an apparatus and a method for distilling and purifying a readily polymerizable compound stably over a long period of time.

Abstract: A process for producing (meth)acrylic acid or (meth)acrylic acid esters, which comprises a reaction step comprising vapor phase catalytic oxidation of propylene, propane or isobutylene and, if necessary, a reaction step comprising an esterification step, characterized in that at the time when a high boiling mixture (hereinafter referred to as a high boiling material) containing a Michael addition product, is decomposed in a decomposition reactor to recover (meth)acrylic acids, while forcibly imparting a liquid flow in the circumferential direction to a liquid reaction residue in the decomposition reactor, the liquid reaction residue is discharged. In a process for recovering a valuable substance by thermally decomposing the high boiling material containing the Michael addition product of (meth)acrylic acids, it is possible to transfer the decomposition residue from the decomposition reactor to the storage tank without clogging, whereby a long-term continuous operation is possible.

Abstract: A lamp with a reflector comprises a high pressure discharge lamp and a reflector. The reflector has a first opening and a second opening. Clearance between a sealing portion of the high pressure discharge lamp and the second opening is substantially filled. The sealing portion includes a first glass portion extending from a luminous bulb and a second glass portion provided in the inside of the first glass portion, and the sealing portion has a portion to which a compressive stress is applied. Moreover, when the sealing portion is disposed to extend in a substantially horizontal direction, a portion of the reflector is formed with an air inlet for introducing an air flow striking against an upper portion of the luminous bulb 1 and then coming into a lower portion of the luminous bulb 1.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp with a trigger wire wound around a side tube portion has the structure in which the side tube portion has a first glass portion extending from a luminous bulb and a second glass portion provided in at least a portion of the inside of the first glass portion, and in which the second glass portion contains at least one substance of Li, Na, and K of from 0.001 wt % to 1.0 wt % inclusive. This structure provides a high pressure discharge lamp operable with a drastically reduced starting voltage.

Abstract: A high-pressure mercury-vapor discharge lamp according to the present invention includes: an emission tube, which is made of quartz glass and which has a substantially ellipsoidal inner space; at least mercury and a rare gas, which are sealed in the inner space of the emission tube; and at least two electrodes, which are arranged in the inner space of the emission tube so as to face each other. The lamp satisfies W≧150 watts, P≧250 atm, t≦5 mm and rl≦0.0103×W−0.00562×P−0.316×rs+0.615×t+1.93, where W [watts] is the power of the lamp during its lighting operation, P [atm] is an operating pressure in the inner space of the emission tube, rs [mm] is the shorter radius of the inner space, rl [mm] is the longer radius of the inner space (where rl≧rs), and t [mm] is the thickness of a swollen portion that defines the inner space.

Abstract: A method for manufacturing a high-pressure discharge lamp includes a process step in which a sealing portion is formed out of a side tube portion of a glass pipe that is designed for use in a discharge lamp. In the step of forming the sealing portion, a compound glass tube, which is composed of an outer tube made of a first glass and an inner tube made of a second glass whose softening point is lower than that of the first glass, is inserted into the side tube portion, which is also formed of the first glass. The side tube portion is then heated so that the side tube portion is brought in tight contact with the compound glass tube. Thereafter, at least the sealing portion is heated at a temperature higher than the strain point temperature of the second glass portion.

Abstract: There is provided an immunoassay by which the amount of human medullasin present inside granulocytes, which are one leukocyte component in blood, can be determined with high accuracy and with good reproducibility. Also provided is an immunoassay of medullasin, wherein when measuring the medullasin in blood using an anti-human medullasin antibody, the determination of the amount of human medullasin in a blood sample using said anti-human medullasin antibody is carried out after treating the blood sample with an aqueous liquid having a specific osmotic pressure different to the osmotic pressure of blood to completely break up the leukocytes. Also provided is a method of diagnosing multiple sclerosis characterized in that the human medullasin content of a blood sample is measured using an immunoassay, and the onset of multiple sclerosis and the extent of the disease is diagnosed according to the size of, or changes in, this measured value.

Abstract: The formation step of a sealing portion 2 includes the substeps of inserting, into the side tube portion 2′, a glass member 70 made of a second glass having a softening point lower than that of a first glass constituting the side tube portion 2′; tightly attaching forward and backward portions (A and C) of the glass member 70 to the side tube portion 2′ by heating the side tube portion 2′ when the glass member 70 is divided into the forward portion, the backward portion, and a central portion under the assumption that the side of the glass member 70 closer to a luminous bulb portion 1′ is the forward side, thereby forming a cavity 30 between at least a portion of the central portion (B) and the side tube portion 2′; and heating, after the attachment step, a portion including at least the glass member 70 and the side tube portion 2′ at a temperature higher than the strain point temperature of the second glass.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody by which medullasin that is a kind of serine proteases existing in granulocytes, production process thereof and an immunoassay of human medullasin using the antibody are disclosed. The monoclonal antibody specifically recognizes human medullasin. The process for producing the anti-human medullasin antibody comprises culturing hybridomas prepared by cell fusion between antibody-producing cells recovered from an animal immunized with human medullasin and myeloma cells, and recovering anti-human medullasin monoclonal antibody which specifically recognizes human medullasin from the culture in which the hybridomas are cultured. The immunoassay utilizes the anti-human medullasin antibody.

Abstract: A high pressure discharge lamp 100 comprises a luminous bulb 1 enclosing a luminous substance 6 inside and a sealing portion 2 for retaining the airtightness of the luminous bulb 1. The sealing portion 2 has a first glass portion 8 extending from the luminous bulb 1 and a second glass portion 7 provided at least in a portion of the inside of the first glass portion 8, and further has a portion (20) to which a compressive stress is applied. In the luminous bulb 1, mercuric bromide (HgBr2) is enclosed.

Abstract: A glass pipe 80 for a discharge lamp is prepared which includes a luminous bulb portion 1′ that will be formed into a luminous bulb of a high pressure discharge lamp and a side tube portion 2′. Subsequently, a glass member 70 made of a second glass having a softening point lower than that of a first glass constituting the side tube portion 2′ is inserted into the side tube portion 2′, after which a getter 75 is disposed in the side tube portion 2′. Then, with the pressure inside the glass pipe 80 reduced, the side tube portion 2′ is heated to tightly attach the glass member 70 to the side tube portion 2′, thereby forming a sealing portion.

Abstract: A reflecting-mirror-equipped lamp 100 including a high pressure discharge lamp 10 and a reflecting mirror 20. An opening 24 of the reflecting mirror 20 is provided with a front glass 22 and two air holes (31 and 32) are formed through the reflecting mirror 20. The air holes (31 and 32) are provided on a cross section (44) including a luminous bulb 11. If the cross section 44 is divided into regions (I through IV) consisting of first, second, third and fourth quadrants with respect to the luminous bulb 11, the air holes (31 and 32) are respectively provided in two quadrants diagonal to each other, i.e., in the first and third quadrants, respectively, or in the second and fourth quadrants, respectively.

Abstract: In order to monitor a state of a battery, a threshold value of an internal impedance of the battery is first determined. It is prepared an approximate expression indicating a correlation between a residual capacity of the battery and an internal impedance of the battery which is greater than the threshold value. The internal impedance of the battery is then measured. When the measured internal impedance is the threshold value or less, the residual capacity is determined as an initial value. When the measured internal impedance is greater than the threshold value, the residual capacity is monitored with the approximate expression.

Abstract: A method for forming a thin film includes the steps of: supplying a deposition material in the form of a liquid onto a heated surface; heating and vaporizing the deposition material on the heated surface while the deposition material is undergoing movement; and depositing the deposition material onto a deposition surface. The deposition material is supplied onto a position of the heated surface where the vaporized deposition material does not reach the deposition surface.

Abstract: A high pressure mercury lamp includes a luminous bulb in which at least mercury is enclosed inside the bulb, and a pair of sealing portions that retain airtightness of the luminous bulb. The amount of the enclosed mercury is 230 mg/cm3 or more based on a volume of the luminous bulb, and heating means for heating the luminous bulb is provided at least at part of the luminous bulb and the pair of sealing portions.

Abstract: A high pressure mercury lamp includes a luminous bulb in which at least mercury is enclosed inside the bulb, and a pair of sealing portions that retain airtightness of the luminous bulb. The amount of the enclosed mercury is 230 mg/cm3 or more based on the volume of the luminous bulb, and heat-retaining means for retaining beat in the luminous bulb is provided. Thus, the present invention can suppress blackening of high pressure mercury lamps having a very high operating pressure.