Abstract: A service demand potential prediction device (10) includes: an acquisition unit (11) for acquiring the number of service provision results for own-company service and other-company service for each area; a calculation unit (12) for calculating a relative index of the own-company service to the other-company service for each area; a selection unit (13) for selecting a dominant area where the own-company service is dominant; a construction unit (14) for constructing a model (M) by performing machine learning using a characteristic amount of the dominant area as an explanatory variable and the number of service provision results of the own-company service as an objective variable; and a prediction unit (15) for predicting a service demand potential of the own-company service when the non-dominant area is assumed to be a dominant area by inputting the characteristic amount of the non-dominant area into the model (M).

Abstract: To suppress a variation in characteristics of a transistor due to a released gas from an organic insulating film so that reliability of a display device is increased. The display device includes a transistor, an organic insulating film which is provided over the transistor in order to reduce unevenness due to the transistor, and a capacitor over the organic insulating film. An entire surface of the organic insulating film is not covered with components (a transparent conductive layer and an inorganic insulating film) of the capacitor, and a released gas from the organic insulating film can be released to the outside from exposed part of an upper surface of the organic insulating film.

Abstract: An organic expander for a lead storage battery, the organic expander containing lignin in which the methoxy group content relative to the solid content is 3 to 20 mass %, wherein the organic expander contains an organic acid in an amount of 0.0001 to 5 mass % relative to the solid content of the organic expander. It is possible to improve charge acceptance while maintaining the discharge characteristics of the lead storage battery.

Abstract: An organic expander for a lead storage battery, the organic expander containing lignin in which the methoxy group content relative to the solid content is 3 to 20 mass %, wherein the organic expander contains an organic acid in an amount of 0.0001 to 5 mass % relative to the solid content of the organic expander. It is possible to improve charge acceptance while maintaining the discharge characteristics of the lead storage battery.

Abstract: Provided is an additive for a cement composition capable of preparing the cement composition in which a cellulose being the additive can be uniformly dispersed into a cement matrix thereby enabling to suppress an increase in viscosity thereof, and capable of producing a cement structure having a less shrinkage strain (namely, a high reinforcing effect) and having a fine as well as homogeneous texture, and the additive for a cement composition includes powdery cellulose.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hydrolysate of a lignocellulosic material, and specifically a method of using a hydrolysis treatment liquid obtained by a hydrolysis treatment of a lignocellulosic material before kraft cooking in order to obtain dissolving pulp for uses other than use of a fuel. Specifically, the present invention provides a dispersant containing the hydrolysate obtained by hydrolysis treatment of the lignocellulosic material. The dispersant of the present invention has excellent dispersibility for a substance such as an inorganic substance and an organic substance without limitation of powder, particulate, granular, fiber, and flat plane shapes.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hydrolysate of a lignocellulosic material, and specifically a method of using a hydrolysis treatment liquid obtained by a hydrolysis treatment of a lignocellulosic material before kraft cooking in order to obtain dissolving pulp for uses other than use of a fuel. Specifically, the present invention provides a dispersant containing the hydrolysate obtained by hydrolysis treatment of the lignocellulosic material. The dispersant of the present invention has excellent dispersibility for a substance such as an inorganic substance and an organic substance without limitation of powder, particulate, granular, fiber, and flat plane shapes.

Abstract: In a nuclear reactor building of a steel plate concrete structure that houses a pressure containment vessel formed with a plurality of penetration ports penetrating the pressure containment vessel on the periphery thereof and includes a biological shielding wall disposed outside the pressure containment vessel. The pressure containment vessel is vertically divided into a plurality of blocks so that each of the blocks has one or more pressure containment vessel penetration ports arranged on a same horizontal plane, and the reactor building including the biological shielding wall is divided into a plurality of modules by the horizontal plane.

Abstract: In a nuclear reactor building of a steel plate concrete structure that houses a pressure containment vessel formed with a plurality of penetration ports penetrating the pressure containment vessel on the periphery thereof and includes a biological shielding wall disposed outside the pressure containment vessel. The pressure containment vessel is vertically divided into a plurality of blocks so that each of the blocks has one or more pressure containment vessel penetration ports arranged on a same horizontal plane, and the reactor building including the biological shielding wall is divided into a plurality of modules by the horizontal plane.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer in order. The optically anisotropic layer comprises discotic liquid crystal molecules. The orientation layer comprises a denatured polyvinyl alcohol having a hydrocarbon group containing 10 to 100 carbon atoms or a denatured polyvinyl alcohol containing fluorine atoms. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are aligned at an average inclined angle in the range of 50° to 90°. An orientation layer, a liquid crystal display of an STN mode and a method of alignment of discotic liquid crystal molecules are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer in order. The optically anisotropic layer comprises discotic liquid crystal molecules. The orientation layer comprises a denatured polyvinyl alcohol having a hydrocarbon group containing 10 to 100 carbon atoms or a denatured polyvinyl alcohol containing fluorine atoms. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are aligned at an average inclined angle in the range of 50° to 90°. An orientation layer, a liquid crystal display of an STN mode and a method of alignment of discotic liquid crystal molecules are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer in order. The optically anisotropic layer comprises discotic liquid crystal molecules. The orientation layer comprises a denatured polyvinyl alcohol having a hydrocarbon group containing 10 to 100 carbon atoms or a denatured polyvinyl alcohol containing fluorine atoms. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are aligned at an average inclined angle in the range of 50° to 90°. An orientation layer, a liquid crystal display of an STN mode and a method of alignment of discotic liquid crystal molecules are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer in order. The optically anisotropic layer comprises discotic liquid crystal molecules. The orientation layer comprises a polymer having a hydrocarbon side chain containing 10 or more carbon atoms or a fluoropolymer. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are aligned at an average inclined angle in the range of 50° to 90°. A liquid crystal display of an STN mode and a method of alignment of discotic liquid crystal molecules are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises a transparent substrate and an optically anisotropic layer. The optically anisotropic layer comprises discotic liquid crystal molecules. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are oriented in essentially mono domain alignment at an average inclined angle in the range of 50° to 90°. A liquid crystal display of an STN mode having the optical compensatory sheet is also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet comprises an optically anisotropic layer formed of discotic liquid crystal molecules provided on a transparent substrate. The liquid crystal molecules are horizontally aligned in the optically anisotropic layer. An average inclined angle between discotic planes of the discotic liquid crystal molecules and a surface of the transparent substrate is less than 5°. The discotic liquid crystal molecules are fixed in the optically anisotropic layer while keeping the horizontal alignment.

Abstract: A liquid crystal composition comprises liquid crystal molecules and an alignment promoter. The alignment promoter is represented by the formula (I). (Hb—)mL(—Bu)n  (I) In the formula (I), Hb is a hydrophobic group selected from the group consisting of a fluorine-substituted alkyl group having 1 to 40 carbon atoms, a fluorine-substituted aryl group having 6 to 40 carbon atoms, an alkyl group having 6 to 60 carbon atoms and an alkyl-substituted oligosiloxanoxy group having 1 to 60 carbon atoms. Bu is a bulky group showing an excluded volume effect and comprising at least two rings. L is an (m+n)-valent linking group. Each of m and n is independently an integer of 1 to 12.

Abstract: An optically active triphenylene compound is represented by the formula (I). In the formula (I), R1, R2, R3, R4, R5 and R6 is independently an optically active monovalent group. The optically active triphenylene compound can be advantageously used as a chiral agent in an optically anisotropic sheet or a liquid crystal display of an STN mode.

Abstract: An optical compensatory sheet is composed of a transparent support, an orientation layer and an optically anisotropic layer. The orientation layer is made of a polymer, and the optically anisotropic layer is made of a liquid crystalline compound. The polymer of the orientation layer is chemically bonded to the liquid crystalline compound of the optically anisotropic layer via the interface of these layers. An element composed of a transparent support and a polymer layer of a polyvinyl alcohol at least one hydroxyl group of which is substituted with a group having a vinyl moiety, an oxiranyl moiety or an aziridinyl moiety, is useful for the preparation of the optical compensatory sheet.

Abstract: A method for back-washing a submerged-type ceramic membrane separation apparatus is provided in which filtrate once removed from the apparatus and a chemical agent are forcibly supplied to filtrate passages in ceramic membrane filters to wash the ceramic membrane filters with the filtrate and with the chemical agent, wherein the water washing and chemical washing are carried out at a predetermined frequency ratio and for a predetermined time period, or wherein the frequency and time period of the chemical washing are determined on the basis of a transmembrane pressure difference, suction pressure or filtrate flux observed during a filtering operation performed by the membrane separation apparatus. This method makes it possible to avoid an excessive chemical washing, and to reduce the amounts of water and chemical agent and the time required for the chemical washing.

Abstract: The present invention provides a split polyethylene stretched material having a tensile strength of at least 0.7 GPa when twisted in the range of 50-500 times/m, which material is produced by subjecting a polyethylene having an intrinsic viscosity of 5-50 dl/g as measured at 135.degree. C. in decalin, i.e. an ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene to stretching and then subjecting the stretched polyethylene to splitting, as well as a process for producing said material. The split polyethylene stretched material according to the present invention has a large surface area and accordingly can be easily laminated to other materials, and has a high strength and flexibility.