Abstract: Provided is an air conditioner including an indoor unit provided with a microphone element for receiving voice instructions, such that a voice instruction spoken by an operator is acquired with high quality and control based on the voice instruction spoken by the operator is likely to be ensured. The air conditioner includes an indoor unit, a transmission unit, and a reception unit. The indoor unit has a main body and a microphone element. The main body has formed therein a blow-out port through which air-conditioned air is blown out toward a space to be air-conditioned. The microphone element accepts a voice instruction captured from a voice capturing portion arranged at a position that deviates from a ventilation space through which the air blown out from the blow-out port flows, in such a manner as to face the space to be air-conditioned. The transmission unit transmits the voice instruction accepted by the microphone element to an outside as a signal.

Abstract: Provided is an insulin secretion-promoting agent comprising, as an active ingredient, a triglyceride represented by the following formula (I): wherein R1, R2 and R3 each denotes a saturated fatty acid residue, at least one of which is a pentadecanoic acid residue. An insulin secretion-promoting action of the pentadecanoic acid triglyceride at the time of elevated blood glucose level is discovered, and pharmaceuticals and health foods for improving blood glucose level and diabetes are provided using this triglyceride.

Abstract: Provided is a collagen production promoter comprising, as an active ingredient, a triglyceride represented by the following formula (I), wherein R1, R2 and R3 each denotes a saturated fatty acid residue, at least one of which is a pentadecanoic acid residue. The triglyceride comprising the pentadecanoic acid promotes the production of skin fibroblasts and collagen, and can be used as a topical skin care composition and a beauty food or beverage for improving the condition of skin.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a silicone-based copolymer which has excellent long-term antifouling property even in a dry-wet alternate portion of a ship and the like or a portion thereof near the surface of water, is excellent also in mechanical strength and recoatability and exhibits high antifouling performance even if an antifouling agent is not added, and an antifouling coating composition containing the copolymer.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a silicone-based copolymer which has excellent long-term antifouling property even in a dry-wet alternate portion of a ship and the like or a portion thereof near the surface of water, is excellent also in mechanical strength and recoatability and exhibits high antifouling performance even if an antifouling agent is not added, and an antifouling coating composition containing the copolymer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a high-solid antifouling paint composition characterized by including: (A) a carboxyl group-containing copolymer that has a structural unit derived from an unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer (a1) and a structural unit derived from an other unsaturated compound monomer (a2) copolymerizable with the unsaturated carboxylic acid monomer (a1), and has a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 6,000 as measured with GPC, (B) a polyvalent metal compound capable of reacting with the carboxyl group of the carboxyl group-containing copolymer (A), and (C) an antifouling agent. The high-solid antifouling paint composition of the present invention provides an antifouling coating film that imposes less environmental burden, affects human bodies less, and has excellent antifouling performance, excellent persistence thereof and excellent mechanical strength.

Abstract: A novel cyclic carboxylic acid formed by the addition reaction of an unsaturated carboxylic acid with a conjugated diene compound and a metal salt thereof are disclosed. A compounding agent (A) for an antifouling paint comprising one or more substances selected from the novel cyclic carboxylic acid, a derivative of the cyclic carboxylic acid (except a metal salt), a metal salt of the cyclic carboxylic acid and a metal salt of a derivative of the cyclic carboxylic acid, and an antifouling paint composition comprising the compounding agent (A) and a copolymer (B) for a self-polishing type antifouling paint are also disclosed. The antifouling paint composition can form an antifouling coating film which is a small burden to the environment, is uniformly eroded at a given rate, is capable of maintaining excellent antifouling performance for a long period of time and is applicable to ships or the like used in the highly fouling sea area.

Abstract: [Means to solve problem] A novel cyclic carboxylic acid formed by the addition reaction of an unsaturated carboxylic acid with a conjugated diene compound and a metal salt thereof are disclosed. A compounding agent (A) for an antifouling paint comprising one or more substances selected from the novel cyclic carboxylic acid, a derivative of the cyclic carboxylic acid (except a metal salt), a metal salt of the cyclic carboxylic acid and a metal salt of a derivative of the cyclic carboxylic acid, and an antifouling paint composition comprising the compounding agent (A) and a copolymer (B) for a self-polishing type antifouling paint are also disclosed. [Effect] The antifouling paint composition can form an antifouling coating film which is a small burden to the environment, is uniformly eroded at a given rate, is capable of maintaining excellent antifouling performance for a long period of time and is applicable to ships or the like used in the highly fouling sea area.

Abstract: An antifouling coating composition having an excellent coating film strength and also has markedly superior antifouling properties, and a novel resin which is useful as a matrix resin for the composition are provided. The antifouling coating composition comprises a vinyl polymer (A) having, as a repeating unit, a structural unit (a) represented by the following formula (1): (in the formula (1), X1 and X2 each independently represents an ester bond or a carbonyl group; R1 represents an ethylene structure which forms a covalent bond with the carbonyl carbon atom and X1 in the formula (1) at the same or adjacent carbon atom; R2 represents a gem-alkylene group, a vic-alkylene group, an arylmethylidene group or an arylethylene group; and R3 and R4 represent an alkyl group or an aryl group, or a hydrocarbon group having a carbonyl group, an ether bond or an ester bond) and an antifouling agent (B).

Abstract: An antifouling coating composition comprising (A) a silyl ester copolymer containing constituent units derived from a polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid silyl ester; (B) a carboxylic acid; (C) a bivalent or trivalent metal compound; and (D) a dehydrating agent. It is preferred that the component (C) be contained in an amount of 1.2 equivalents or more, in terms of the number of equivalents of metal as a constituent of the component (C), per equivalent of carboxyl group of the carboxylic acid (B); that the component (C) be a bivalent metal compound; and that the component (C) be a compound of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium and barium.

Abstract: A (poly)oxyalkylene block silyl ester copolymer comprising silyl ester copolymer block units (A) and block units (B), the block units (a) comprising (a) component units derived from a polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid silyl ester, and (b) polymerizable unsaturated monomer units other than the component units (a), the block units (B) derived from particular mercapto compounds, and an antifouling paint comprising the (poly)oxyalkylene block silyl ester copolymer. The copolymer enables the formation of an antifouling coating film which exhibits less cracking tendency, excellent adherence, less peeling tendency and controlled hydrolysis rate resulting in excellent antifouling performance and properties.

Abstract: An antifouling coating composition comprising (A) a silyl ester copolymer containing constituent units derived from a polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid silyl ester; (B) a carboxylic acid; (C) a bivalent or trivalent metal compound; and (D) a dehydrating agent. It is preferred that the component (C) be contained in an amount of 1.2 equivalents or more, in terms of the number of equivalents of metal as a constituent of the component (C), per equivalent of carboxyl group of the carboxylic acid (B); that the component (C) be a bivalent metal compound; and that the component (C) be a compound of at least one metal selected from the group consisting of zinc, copper, magnesium, calcium and barium.

Abstract: An antifouling coating composition having an excellent coating film strength and also has markedly superior antifouling properties, and a novel resin which is useful as a matrix resin for the composition are provided.

Abstract: A (poly)oxyalkylene block silyl ester copolymer comprising silyl ester copolymer block units (A) and block units (B), the silyl ester copolymer block units (A) comprising (a) component units derived from a polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid silyl ester, and (b) polymerizable unsaturated monomer units other than the component units (a), the block units (B) derived from a mercapto compound represented by the following formula (1) or (2), and further an antifouling paint comprising the (poly)oxyalkylene block silyl ester copolymer.

Abstract: Disclosed is a silyl (meth)acrylate copolymer which comprises 20 to 80% by weight of (a) silyl (meth)acrylate constituent units (I), 0.01 to 40% by weight of (b) acrylic unsaturated monomer constituent units (II) and 5 to 79.9% by weight of Ĉ unsaturated monomer constituent units other than the constituent units (a) and (b). Also disclosed is a process for preparing the silyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, an antifouling paint composition comprising the copolymer, a coating film formed from the paint composition, a hull with the coating film and an antifouling method using the paint composition.

Abstract: An antifouling coating composition can inhibit or prevent fouling of hulls of ships and other underwater structures. The coating composition includes (A) an antifouling agent, (B) a film-forming copolymer having a number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 50,000, and structural units derived from a trialkylsilyl ester of polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid in an amount of 20 to 65% by weight, based on the copolymer, and (C) chlorinated paraffin having 8 to 30 carbon atoms, number average molecular weight of 200 to 1200 and a chlorination ratio of from 35 to 75% by weight. Zinc flower may also be included in the antifouling coating composition in place of or in addition to the antifouling agent (A).

Abstract: An antifouling coating composition includes (A) antifouling agent, (B) film forming copolymer of 1000 to 50,000 in number average molecular weight, and structural units derived from a trialkylsilyl ester of polymerizable unsaturated carboxylic acid in an amount of 20 to 65% by weight, and (C) chlorinated paraffin. The composition may also contain one or more of (D) (meth)acrylic ester polymer of 1000 to 100,000 in number average molecular weight; (E) inorganic dehydrating agent, (F) flake pigment, (G) zinc flower. In other embodiments the composition includes above components (A), (B) and (D) wherein (B):(D)=100:10 to 500. Coating films formed from the above antifouling coating compositions, such as on a hull or an underwater structure, are excellent in cracking resistance, resistance to peeling from ship bottom materials and primer layers, antifouling properties and consumability (self-polishing properties). Further, these antifouling coating compositions are excellent in storage stability.

Abstract: There are disclosed a controlling agent and an antifouling composition against harmful aquatic organisms, which include a particular N-phenylisothiazolone derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are the same or different and are independently hydrogen, chlorine or bromine; and R is haloalkoxy. Also disclosed is a method for preventing or inhibiting the adhesion of harmful aquatic organisms to water-exposed articles, which includes applying the antifouling composition to the water-exposed articles.

Abstract: There are disclosed a controlling agent and an antifouling composition against harmful aquatic organisms, which include a particular N-phenylisothiazolone derivative of the formula: ##STR1## wherein X.sup.1 and X.sup.2 are the same or different and are independently hydrogen, chlorine or bromine; and R is haloalkoxy. Also disclosed is a method for preventing or inhibiting the adhesion of harmful aquatic organisms to water-exposed articles, which includes applying the antifouling composition to the water-exposed articles.

Abstract: An abnormality detecting apparatus constantly monitors even a slight amount of gas which has leaked by checking a gas supply pipe when it is determined that the pressure regulating function of a pressure regulator is abnormal. The abnormality detecting apparatus detects an abnormality of the regulated pressure of a pressure regulator appropriately by comparing the regulated pressure with a predetermined low value of a pressure regulating range when the gas flow rate is high and with a predetermined high value of a pressure regulating range when the gas flow rate is low.