Abstract: The light irradiation range of a probe for a photoacoustic measurement apparatus is increased. The probe for a photoacoustic measurement apparatus includes a light transmission unit that irradiates a subject with light, and a photoacoustic wave detector 52 that detects a photoacoustic wave generated from the subject. The light transmission unit includes light propagation part 51 for propagating light, and a light transmission member 55. Further, the light transmission member 55 includes an inner peripheral surface 55a that is formed in the shape of a curved concave surface and an outer peripheral surface 55b that has a radius of curvature larger than the radius of curvature of the inner peripheral surface 55a and is formed in the shape of a curved convex surface. The outer peripheral surface 55b is disposed so that the light L emitted from the light propagation part 51 is incident on the inner peripheral surface 55a.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to reduce the size of a probe for a photoacoustic measurement device. A light guide 71 is arranged such that one of a two side surfaces 71a is closer to a probe axis C which faces a subject than the other side surface and a light emission end surface 71c is closer to the probe axis C than a light incident end surface 71b when the probe is used. When a refractive index of the light guide 71 with respect to the light is n1 and a refractive index of a medium around the light guide with respect to the light during photoacoustic measurement is n2 (n2<n1), the light emission end surface 71c is obliquely formed such that an angle ?[°] (where 90°?arcsin(n2/n1)<?<90°) is formed between the light emission end surface 71c and the side surface 71a.

Abstract: An acoustic wave detector that detects an acoustic wave from a subject, an optical fiber that guides light emitted from a light source to a probe body, and a light guide member that guides light from a light entrance end, which is optically coupled to the optical fiber, to a light exit end, which is located in the vicinity of the acoustic wave detector, are provided. The light guide member is secured in the probe body with a securing material provided at least partially around the light guide member. The conditional expression below is satisfied: sin?1(n2/n1)×(180°/?)<90°??i where n1 is a refractive index of the light guide member, n2 is a refractive index of the securing material, and ?i is a spread angle of incoming light from the optical fiber.

Abstract: In an acoustic image generation apparatus with a probe having an ultrasonic transducer, providing a scanning length setting part that sets a target scanning length in a scanning process of the probe, a coordinate obtaining part that sequentially obtains a coordinate of the probe in real space, a scanned length calculation part that calculates a scanned length based on the coordinate obtained by the coordinate obtaining part, a progress level display generation part that generates a progress level display that indicates progress of the scanning process based on the target scanning length and the scanned length, and a display part that displays the progress level display.

Abstract: An optical fiber guides light output from a light source to an ultrasound probe. The ultrasound probe includes a light guiding section that guides the light from a light input end, which is optically coupled with the optical fiber to a light output end provided in the vicinity of ultrasonic transducers. The light guiding section has a first light guiding portion that includes the light input end, and a second light guiding portion that includes the light output end. The first light guiding portion is formed by glass, and magnifies input light. The second light guiding portion is formed by resin, and emits the light toward a subject from the light output end.

Abstract: A method for producing an amide compound from a nitrile compound in an aqueous medium in the presence of a catalyst having a nitrile hydratase activity wherein the concentration of benzene in the aqueous medium is 4.0 ppm or less and a method for producing an amide-based polymer excellent in quality from the amide compound. Also provided are a method for more efficiently producing an acrylamide with higher quality by a microbial catalyst containing a nitrile hydratase and the like and a method for producing an acrylamide-based polymer, which is excellent in hue, has a good balance between water solubility and high molecular weight and is excellent in quality.

Abstract: A process for producing (meth)acrylamide using a microbial catalyst, wherein production steps can be simplified and production cost can be reduced. The process for producing (meth)acrylamide of the present involves (a) a step of allowing (meth)acrylonitrile to undergo hydration reaction by the use of a microbial catalyst containing nitrile hydratase in an aqueous medium to obtain a (meth)acrylamide reaction solution (I) and (b) a step of removing impurities from the reaction solution (I) to obtain a (meth)acrylamide aqueous solution (II), wherein the concentration of (meth)acrylamide in the reaction solution (I) obtained in the step (a) is higher than the concentration of (meth)acrylamide in the aqueous solution (II) obtained in the step (b) by 2 to 20% by weight.

Abstract: A method for producing an amide compound from a nitrile compound in an aqueous medium in the presence of a catalyst having a nitrile hydratase activity wherein the concentration of benzene in the aqueous medium is 4.0 ppm or less and a method for producing an amide-based polymer excellent in quality from the amide compound. Also provided are a method for more efficiently producing an acrylamide with higher quality by a microbial catalyst containing a nitrile hydratase and the like and a method for producing an acrylamide-based polymer, which is excellent in hue, has a good balance between water solubility and high molecular weight and is excellent in quality.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a process for effectively removing impurities contained in an amide compound-containing solution by making an amide compound-containing solution, particularly an amide compound-containing solution produced by a hydration reaction of a nitrile compound by using a microorganism fungus body containing nitrile hydratase or a processed product of the microorganism fungus body, in contact with activated carbon under acidic conditions.

Abstract: [Problem] To provide a process for producing (meth)acrylamide using a microbial catalyst, wherein production steps can be simplified and production cost can be reduced. [Means for solving problem] The process for producing (meth)acrylamide of the present invention is a process comprising (a) a step of allowing (meth)acrylonitrile to undergo hydration reaction by the use of a microbial catalyst containing nitrile hydratase in an aqueous medium to obtain a (meth)acrylamide reaction solution (I) and (b) a step of removing impurities from the reaction solution (I) to obtain a (meth)acrylamide aqueous solution (II), wherein the concentration of (meth)acrylamide in the reaction solution (I) obtained in the step (a) is higher than the concentration of (meth)acrylamide in the aqueous solution (II) obtained in the step (b) by 2 to 20% by weight.

Abstract: [Problems] The present invention provides a method for efficiently producing a corresponding amide compound from a nitrile compound by a reaction using a nitrile hydratase and a method for producing an amide-based polymer excellent in quality from the amide compound. In addition, the present invention provides a method for more efficiently producing an acrylamide with higher quality by a microbial catalyst containing a nitrile hydratase and the like and a method for producing an acrylamide-based polymer, which is excellent in hue, has a good balance between the water solubility and the high molecular weight and is also excellent in quality, by using the acrylamide. [Means for Solving the Problems] The method for producing an amide compound of the present invention is characterized in that in a method for producing an amide compound from a nitrile compound in an aqueous medium in the presence of a catalyst having a nitrile hydratase activity, the concentration of benzene in the aqueous medium is 4.

Abstract: An amide composition containing an unsaturated amide, a sulfur-containing compound, and a weak acid salt. The composition can include an amide in crystalline form or the composition can be in form of aqueous solution. The composition can exhibit improved stability whereby polymerization of the amide is inhibited.

Abstract: The invention is a process for continuously producing an amide compound by reacting a microorganism fungus body containing nitrile hydratase or a processed product of the microorganism fungus body with a nitrile compound in an aqueous medium, characterized in that after contacting said fungus body or said processed product of said fungus body with said nitrile compound in said aqueous medium, a reaction solution thus obtained is further subjected to reaction under conditions having a plug flow region, and according to the invention, an amide compound aqueous solution of a high concentration a high purity can be easily obtained in an extremely high conversion rate of a nitrile compound without a condensation process.

Abstract: The invention is to provide a process for effectively removing impurities contained in an amide compound-containing solution by making an amide compound-containing solution, particularly an amide compound-containing solution produced by a hydration reaction of a nitrile compound by using a microorganism fungus body containing nitrile hydratase or a processed product of the microorganism fungus body, in contact with activated carbon under acidic conditions.

Abstract: An amide composition containing an unsaturated amide, a sulfur-containing compound, and a weak acid salt. The composition can include an amide in crystalline form or the composition can be in form of aqueous solution. The composition can exhibit improved stability whereby polymerization of the amide is inhibited.

Abstract: The invention is a process for continuously producing an amide compound by reacting a microorganism fungus body containing nitrile hydratase or a processed product of the microorganism fungus body with a nitrile compound in an aqueous medium, characterized in that after contacting said fungus body or said processed product of said fungus body with said nitrile compound in said aqueous medium, a reaction solution thus obtained is further subjected to reaction under conditions having a plug flow region, and according to the invention, an amide compound aqueous solution of a high concentration a high purity can be easily obtained in an extremely high conversion rate of a nitrile compound without a condensation process.

Abstract: A curing agent having less odor and providing a cured resin which is excellent in appearance, mechanical properties, water resistance and chemical resistance, and a one-component type humidity-curing resin composition having excellent storage stability and providing a cured matter which is excellent in appearance and physical properties. Specifically, provided are polyaminoamide or ketimine obtained by dehydration of 2,5- and/or 2,6-bis(aminomethyl)-bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane with carboxylic acids or ketones, a curing agent for epoxy resins using the same and a one-component type humidity-curing epoxy resin or urethane prepolymer composition containing the curing agent.

Abstract: A curing agent having less odor and providing a cured resin which is excellent in appearance, mechanical properties, water resistance and chemical resistance, and a one-component type humidity-curing resin composition having excellent storage stability and providing a cured matter which is excellent in appearance and physical properties. Specifically, provided are polyaminoamide or ketimine obtained by dehydration of 2,5- and/or 2,6-bis(aminomethyl)-bicyclo?2.2.1!heptane with carboxylic acids or ketones, a curing agent for epoxy resins using the same and a one-component type humidity-curing epoxy resin or urethane prepolymer composition containing the curing agent.

Abstract: A process for preparing acrylamide is disclosed herein which comprises subjecting acrylonitrile to a hydration reaction in the presence of a copper-based catalyst, said process comprising the step of allowing a compound having an active methylene group and an acidic group in one molecule or a salt of the compound, for example, malonic acid, cyanoacetic acid or its salt to be present in a reaction system. According to the hydration reaction, it is possible to inhibit the secondary formation of impurities which cannot be heretofore removed, without any deterioration of a catalyst activity, and acrylamide can be obtained which is useful as a material for the manufacture of a high-molecular weight flocculant having a sufficiently large molecular weight and a good water solubility.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for the preparation of acrylamide. Acrylonitrile is treated through at least two purification steps in which acrylonitrile is brought into contact with a strongly-acidic cation exchange resin and then with a resin having primary and/or secondary amino groups or with activated carbon. The resulting acrylonitrile is subjected to hydration in the presence of a copper-base catalyst. The process of this invention can provide high-quality acrylamide even when acrylonitrile of ordinary quality is used, and permits preparation of a polyacrylamide suitable for use in the production of a coagulant having good water solubility or the like.