Abstract: At least one of a center electrode tip and a ground electrode tip is made of an iridium alloy. A discharge gap, formed between the center electrode tip and the ground electrode tip, is less than 1.1 mm. And, cross sections of the center electrode tip and the ground electrode tip are equal to or smaller than 0.95 mm2 in a spherical region where a distance from a midpoint of the discharge gap is within 0.6 mm.

Abstract: An insulator includes a coil side cylindrical portion extending from a plug side cylinder portion in a direction departing from a combustion chamber. One end of the coil side cylindrical portion protrudes in the direction departing from the combustion chamber with respect to a primary winding and a secondary winding. A pressure sensing element is disposed next to the one end of the coil side cylindrical portion. The signal lines of the pressure sensing element are taken out of a casing without passing aside an ignition coil. Thus, the diameter of the casing does not increase. The output signal of the pressure sensing element is not adversely influenced by discharge noises generated from the ignition coil.

Abstract: An insulator includes a plug side cylindrical portion having an inner space for accommodating a center electrode and a coil side cylindrical portion extending in a direction departing from a combustion chamber. The high-voltage portion of an ignition coil is entirely accommodated inside the coil side cylindrical portion. According to this arrangement, the coil side cylindrical portion can assure insulation between the high-voltage portion and the low-voltage portion. The portion to be insulated and fixed by an insulating resin is limited only to the secondary winding.

Abstract: In an ignition device for use in an internal combustion engine in which a spark plug and an ignition coil are integrated with each other and mounted in a cylinder head, a case is made of an electrical conductive material and one end portion of a secondary winding of the ignition coil is electrically connected to a center electrode of the spark plug while the other end portion of the secondary winding and an earth electrode of the spark plug are electrically connected to the case. Thus, the low-voltage side of the secondary winding and the earth electrode are electrically connected to each other through the case. This eliminates the need for a connector terminal and a wire harness for the electrical connection of the low-voltage side of the secondary winding to the internal combustion engine.

Abstract: In an ignition device for an internal combustion engine which is mounted in a cylinder head in a state where a spark plug and an ignition coil are integrated with each other, the plug side tube section is made of ceramics and internally accommodates a center electrode and the coil side tube section is made of ceramics, with one of a primary winding and a secondary winding being wound around the coil side tube section. The plug side tube section and the coil side tube section are constructed as separate bodies and then combined with each other. This shortens the overall lengths of both the tube sections, thus preventing the occurrence of cracks or bends at calcining and improving the dimension accuracy after the calcining.

Abstract: In an ignition device for an internal combustion engine, comprising a spark plug made to carry out an electric discharge between an center electrode and an earth electrode and an ignition coil having a primary winding and a secondary winding for supplying a high voltage to the spark plug, notch portions are made in a ceramic spool on which one of the primary and secondary windings is wound and projecting portion are made in an insulating-resin-made holding member into which connector terminals are incorporated, with the projecting portions being engaged with the notch portions. The engagement of the projecting portions and the notch portions prevents the connector terminals from moving with respect to the ceramic spool in circumferential directions of the ceramic spool during terminal connection work.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to provide a transformed plant having an enhanced amino acid content, a progeny of the plant, seeds of the plant and a method for producing the plant. The present invention provides a transformed plant having a gene encoding DNA binding protein of Dof family and also having a free amino acid content higher than that of naturally occurring plants of the same species cultivated under the same conditions. The present invention also provides a method of producing a transformed plant having the free amino acid content higher than that of naturally occurring plants of the same species cultivated under the same conditions by introducing a gene encoding DNA binding protein of Dof family into the plant to express the gene in the plant body.

Abstract: The present invention provides a transformed plant having free-amino acid content increased by introducing phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) genes, and also a progeny thereof and a seed thereof. Namely, the transformed plant has a nucleic acid construct containing PEPC gene introduced therein, wherein phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase encoded by the PEPC gene does not require phosphorylation for the activation thereof and/or is independent of acetyl CoA. In particular, the present invention provides a transformed plant comprising a nucleic acid construct containing a nucleic acid molecule encoding Synechococcus vulcanus PEPC or a nucleic acid construct containing a nucleic acid molecule encoding a protein having PEPC activity which has at least 80% of nucleotide sequence homology to said gene.

Abstract: An elastic copolymer composition which contains a copolymer having a content of polymer units based on vinylidene fluoride as low as from 0.5 to 15 mol %, which is satisfactory in polyol vulcanizability and which gives a vulcanizate excellent in heat resistance and oil resistance. This composition comprises a tetrafluoroethylene (35 to 65 mol %)/propylene (20 to 50 mol %)/vinylidene fluoride (0.5 to 15 mol %) copolymer, an organic quaternary ammonium hydroxide or a salt of an organic quaternary phosphonium compound with a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound, an organic polyhydroxy compound, and a metal oxide or a metal hydroxide, and optionally contains an amine compound.

Abstract: Disclosed are a protein having a transglutaminase activity, which comprises a sequence ranging from serine residue at the second position to proline residue at the 331st position in an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID No. 1 wherein the N-terminal amino acid of the protein corresponds to serine residue at the second position of SEQ ID No. 1, a DNA encoding the protein, a transformant having the DNA, and a process for producing a protein having a transglutaminase activity, which comprises the steps of culturing the transformant in a medium. The protein can be produced in a large amount with the transformant using a host such as E. coli.

Abstract: Disclosed are a protein having a transglutaminase activity, which comprises a sequence ranging from serine residue at the second position to proline residue at the 331st position in an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID No. 1 wherein the N-terminal amino acid of the protein corresponds to serine residue at the second position of SEQ ID No. 1, a DNA encoding the protein, a transformant having the DNA, and a process for producing a protein having a transglutaminase activity, which comprises the steps of culturing the transformant in a medium. The protein can be produced in a large amount with the transformant using a host such as E. coli.

Abstract: A method for producing a protein hydrolysate with low bitterness by contacting a protein with a protease having a low specificity to cleave a site of a hydrophobic amino acid residue in the protein.

Abstract: Disclosed are a protein having a transglutaminase activity, which comprises a sequence ranging from serine residue at the second position to proline residue at the 331st position in an amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID No. 1 wherein the N-terminal amino acid of the protein corresponds to serine residue at the second position of SEQ ID No. 1, a DNA encoding the protein, a transformant having the DNA, and a process for producing a protein having a transglutaminase activity, which comprises the steps of culturing the transformant in a medium. The protein can be produced in a large amount with the transformant using a host such as E. coli.

Abstract: An elastic copolymer composition which contains a copolymer having a content of polymer units based on vinylidene fluoride as low as from 0.5 to 15 mol %, which is satisfactory in polyol vulcanizability and which gives a vulcanizate excellent in heat resistance and oil resistance. This composition comprises a tetrafluoroethylene (35 to 65 mol %)/propylene (20 to 50 mol %)/vinylidene fluoride (0.5 to 15 mol %) copolymer, an organic quaternary ammonium hydroxide or a salt of an organic quaternary phosphonium compound with a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compound, an organic polyhydroxy compound, and a metal oxide or a metal hydroxide, and optionally contains an amine compound.

Abstract: A power-saving type of ignition apparatus is provided with a spark plug of which electrodes (30, 40) are regulated in their shapes to lower an amount of energy required for its ignition. To face to a tip (31) of a center electrode (30) extending from a mounting bracket (10), a cylindrical protrusion (41) is built on one surface (43) of an earth electrode (40). The protrusion extends toward the center electrode to form a discharge gap (50) between the protrusion and the tip of the center electrode. Both of the tip of the center electrode and the protrusion of the earth electrode are 2.3 [mm] or less in each diameter (D1, D2), thus an amount of energy required for ignition being limited to 17 [mJ] or less.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a method for producing a transformed plant whose free glutamic acid content is increased. Moreover, it is a further object of the present invention to provide a transformed plant, whose free glutamic acid content is increased, progeny plants thereof and seeds thereof.

Abstract: An ignition device sets a total discharge period, each discharge period and each intermittent period of a multiple discharge are set by a control map in addition to the setting of a throttle opening, fuel injection timing, fuel injection period and ignition timing for the range of non-stratified charge combustion, when a direct injection-type engine operates in the range of stratified charge combustion. Ignition signals including a plurality of rises and falls are outputted in time with a specific ignition timing after fuel injection. Thus a plurality of sparks are generated from the spark plug, ensuring reliable ignition in response to changes in the concentration of sprayed fuel within the operation range for stratified charge combustion.

Abstract: In an engine ignition system having a fail-safe function, a battery, a coil and a transistor are connected in series. A capacitor is connected to the coil by way of a diode. The capacitor, a primary winding of an ignition coil and a transistor are connected in series. A transistor and a diode in serial connection are connected in parallel to the coil and diode in serial connection. A drive circuit turns on and off the transistor to charge the capacitor and operates the transistor to implement the ignition operation. The drive circuit, in the event of system failure, turns on and off the transistor, while retaining the transistor in the on state, thereby to feed energy of the battery to the primary winding.

Abstract: At least one of a center electrode tip and a ground electrode tip is made of an iridium alloy. A discharge gap, formed between the center electrode tip and the ground electrode tip, is less than 1.1 mm. And, cross sections of the center electrode tip and the ground electrode tip are equal to or smaller than 0.95 mm2 in a spherical region where a distance from a midpoint of the discharge gap is within 0.6 mm.

Abstract: Disclosed are cDNA encoding a new aminopeptidase derived from germinated soybeans, a recombinant expression vector containing the DNA, a transformant obtained by the transformation with the expression vector, and a method of producing an aminopeptidase by culturing the transformed product. According to the present invention, a cDNA can be obtained encoding the amino acid sequence of aminopeptidase GX suitable for producing a highly hydrolized product from a starting material containing a protein and peptide having a high acidic amino acid content. Using the cDNA, a recombinant aminopeptidase can be mass-produced with E. coli or the like. By using the cDNA, it is also possible to produce aminopeptidase GX by using a host other than E. coli. In addition, hydrohized products having high glutamic acid content and aspartic acid content and also excellent seasoning properties can be obtained from soybean protein by combining GX thus produced with protease D3 and leucine aminopeptidase DLAP.