Abstract: A process for producing glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellets, which comprises a step of drawing out glass fiber strands from the inside of glass fiber rolls and introducing them into a resin impregnation die, a step of supplying a molten thermoplastic resin into the resin impregnation die and impregnating the glass fiber strands with the thermoplastic resin, a step of drawing out the glass fiber strands impregnated with the thermoplastic resin from the resin impregnation die and cooling and solidifying the thermoplastic resin to obtain a linear molded product, and a step of cutting the molded product into a predetermined length, wherein as the glass fibers, glass fiber strands drawn out from rolls, each roll obtained by bundling monofilaments having a diameter of from 6 to 25 ?m and winding them so that the inner diameter will be from 18 to 50 cm, are used.

Abstract: A long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet comprises short strands, each of which has a width of from 0.2 to 5 mm and a length of from 10 to 150 mm and is made of a unidirectionally long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. The short strands are oriented at random and are fixed together at intersections thereof. The long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet has a basis weight of from 30 to 500 g/m2 and is provided with openings therein. The long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet can be produced by evenly spreading and piling up short strands of substantially circular or elliptical sections, and subjecting the short strands to pressureless hot-melt adhesion or to hot-melt compression bonding under pressure such that the sheet has a basis weight of from 30 to 500 g/m2 and is provided with openings therein. The short strands of the substantially circular or elliptical sections have an average diameter of from 0.1 to 1.

Abstract: A new process for producing a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin molded product with a high mechanical strength and no heat substantial deterioration of the resin, by an efficient heating without applying shear stress to the fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin base material and a molded product, for example, a tiptoe core for a safety shoe produced by said process are provided. The fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin base material P1 in a string form or a tape form is scattered and accumulated in a vessel such as tube 11, and a heating gas passed to the accumulated base material to melt heat, and preferably press by a plunger 15, the base material P1, whereby a molten mass P2 is formed, and then the molten mass P2 is dislocated to a mold to be press-mold. Said base material preferably satisfies the following formula: {fraction (1/100)}≦&rgr;1/&rgr;0≦½, wherein &rgr;0 means a density where said base material is scattered and accumulated and &rgr;0 means a true density of said base material.

Abstract: A process for producing glass fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin pellets, which comprises a step of drawing out glass fiber strands from the inside of glass fiber rolls and introducing them into a resin impregnation die, a step of supplying a molten thermoplastic resin into the resin impregnation die and impregnating the glass fiber strands with the thermoplastic resin, a step of drawing out the glass fiber strands impregnated with the thermoplastic resin from the resin impregnation die and cooling and solidifying the thermoplastic resin to obtain a linear molded product, and a step of cutting the molded product into a predetermined length, wherein as the glass fibers, glass fiber strands drawn out from rolls, each roll obtained by bundling monofilaments having a diameter of from 6 to 25 &mgr;m and winding them so that the inner diameter will be from 18 to 50 cm, are used.

Abstract: A long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet comprises short strands, each of which has a width of from 0.2 to 5 mm and a length of from 10 to 150 mm and is made of a unidirectionally long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin. The short strands are oriented at random and are fixed together at intersections thereof. The long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet has a basis weight of from 30 to 500 g/m2 and is provided with openings therein. The long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet can be produced by evenly spreading and piling up short strands of substantially circular or elliptical sections, and subjecting the short strands to pressureless hot-melt adhesion or to hot-melt compression bonding under pressure such that the sheet has a basis weight of from 30 to 500 g/m2 and is provided with openings therein. The short strands of the substantially circular or elliptical sections have an average diameter of from 0.1 to 1.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a process for producing a practical cholesterol-reduced substance by converting cholesterol contained in foods and feeds to coprostanol having very low intestinal tract absorbability by utilizing enzymatic action is provided. Cholesterol in a cholesterol-containing substance such as meat, egg, milk, seafood and cooked processed foods containing the same, or feeds for animals, poultry and pisciculture, and the like, can be treated with three kinds of enzymes which are a cholesterol dehydrogenase having an optimum pH in a neutral pH range and 4-cholesten-3-one dehydrogenase and coprostan-3-one dehydrogenase each having an optimum pH in a weak acidic range, or microbial cells containing the enzymes, for converting the cholesterol to coprostanol to reduce the amount of the cholesterol.

Abstract: An enzymatic process is presented for reducing the cholesterol level of foods and feeds by converting the cholesterol therein to coprostanol which has a very low intestinal tract absorbability. Cholesterol in meat, egg, milk, seafood and cooked processed foods containing the same, or feeds for animals, poultry, and pisiculture can be reduced by the sequential action of three enzymes isolated from a eubacterium: cholesterol dehydrogenase, 4-cholesten-3-one dehydrogenase and coprostan-3-one dehydrogenase.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a process for producing a practical cholesterol-reduced substance by converting cholesterol contained in foods and feeds to coprostanol having very low intestinal tract absorbability by utilizing enzymatic action is provided. Cholesterol in a cholesterol-containing substance such as meat, egg, milk, seafood and cooked processed foods containing the same, or feeds for animals, poultry and pisciculture, and the like, can be treated with three kinds of enzymes which are a cholesterol dehydrogenase having an optimum pH in a neutral pH range and 4-cholesten-3-one dehydrogenase and coprostan-3-one dehydrogenase each having an optimum pH in a weak acidic range, or microbial cells containing the enzymes, for converting the cholesterol to coprostanol to reduce the amount of the cholesterol.

Abstract: According to the present invention, a process for producing a practical cholesterol-reduced substance by converting cholesterol contained in foods and feeds to coprostanol having very low intestinal tract absorbability by utilizing enzymatic action is provided.

Abstract: A thermoplastic resin-combined glass fiber base material, which comprises a glass fiber strand having a plurality of glass monofilaments bundled and a thermoplastic resin impregnated thereto, and which: A) has a string form with an average diameter of from 0.2 to 1.5 mm, B) has a glass content of from 15 to 80 vol %, C) has an impregnation rate of the thermoplastic resin of at least 95%, and D) satisfies R≦30D×V, where R is the radius of curvature (mm) representing the buckling limit in bending, D is the average diameter (mm), and V is the glass content (vol %/100).

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for expressing a gene and producing a metabolic product formed by the gene by culturing a transformant microorganism carrying a recombinant DNA constructed of a DNA fragment having at least one gene to be expressed and a vector DNA, at least one of which is foreign to the host microorganism.

Abstract: The present invention provides a recombinant DNA comprised of a vector DNA and a DNA fragment containing a gene coding for .gamma.-glutamyl transpeptidase derived from Bacillus subtilis. The invention also provides a process for producing .gamma.-glutamyl transpeptidase, which comprises culturing in a culture medium a microorganism belonging to the genus Bacillus which is carrying recombinant DNA comprised of a vector DNA and DNA fragment which contains a gene coding for .gamma.-glutamyl transpeptidase derived from the genus Bacillus, accumulating .gamma.-glutamyl transpeptidase in the culture, and recovering .gamma.-glutamyl transpeptidase therefrom.

Abstract: A process for producing L-lysine is disclosed in which a recombinant vector, a DNA fragment of which contains a gene involved in the synthesis of dihydropicolinic acid synthetase, is used to transform a microorganism of the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium. The transformant is then cultured in a medium which supports the accumulation of L-lysine. Subsequently the L-lysine is recovered from the culture broth.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing histidine by transforming a host microorganism belonging to the genus Corynebacterium or Brevibacterium with a recombinant DNA of a DNA fragment containing a gene involved in the biosynthesis of histidine and a vector DNA, culturing the transformant in a nutrient medium, accumulating histidine in the culture medium and recovering histidine therefrom.