Abstract: The invention provides a reagent for diluting a blood sample, comprising water, polyoxyethylene alkyl ether having a hydroxyl value of 52 to 60, and an osmo-regulator for regulating the osmotic pressure of the reagent in the range of 150 to 400 mOsm/kg, as well as a method for measuring the mean corpuscular volume of a blood sample.

Abstract: A protective cover for a display panel, comprising a transparent substrate, and an anti-reflection, transparent medium layer comprising hollow, transparent, fine particles dispersed in a transparent resin matrix and sealed without gap between the a transparent substrate and an image-displaying area of the display panel, the refractive index N1 of the anti-reflection, transparent medium layer and the refractive index Ns of the transparent substrate meeting the following relation (1): No<N1<Ns2??(1), wherein No is the refractive index of air.

Abstract: A method of staining bacteria comprises: working a polymethine dye on a sample in the presence of a substance capable of reducing nitrite ions to stain bacteria in the sample. A method of detecting bacteria comprises the following steps of: (1) working a polymethine dye on a sample by a method as described above to stain bacteria in the sample, (2) introducing the thus treated sample into a detecting part of a flow cytometer and irradiating cells of the stained bacteria one by one with light to measure scattered light and fluorescent light emitted from each of the cells; and (3) discriminating the bacteria from other components in accordance with an intensity of a scattered light signal and an intensity of a fluorescent light signal or a pulse width reflecting the length of particles to count the bacteria.

Abstract: A method for distinguishing erythrocytes in a biological specimen, includes preparing a sample liquid so as to cause damage to a cell membrane of yeast-like fungi without hemolyzing erythrocytes in a biological specimen and to stain the yeast-like fungi with a fluorescent dye; detecting a first information and a second information from a particle in the sample liquid, wherein the first information reflects a size of the particle and the second information reflects a degree of fluorescent staining of the particle; and distinguishing the erythrocytes from the yeast-like fungi based on the first information and second information detected. An apparatus, a reagent kit and a reagent for carrying out the method are also disclosed.

Abstract: An optical element comprising a lens having a portion with a surface inclination angle of 50° or more within an effective-diameter region, the portion being 10% or more of the effective-diameter region in a projected area, and an anti-reflection coating formed on the lens, the anti-reflection coating having fine roughness with three-dimensional average surface roughness of 5-100 nm on the surface.

Abstract: A ceramic heat exchanger includes a heat exchange section that heat-exchanges between two fluids A and B flowing opposite directions to each other. The heat exchange section includes ceramic blocks stacked one on top of another with a seal therebetween. The ceramic blocks have a plurality of parallel lines of flow channels, each line defined by the flow channels through which the same fluid flows, any two adjacent lines being defined by the flow channels through which the different fluids A and B flow respectively. Both ends in the stacking direction of the stack are bound to join and integrate the ceramic blocks with tightening means including end plates and a tie rod. A thermal expansion absorber is disposed on an external surface of the end plates for absorbing thermal expansion in the axial direction of the tie rod.

Abstract: A reflector control type fast reactor 1 comprises: a reactor vessel 7 accommodating therein a primary coolant 5; a reactor core 2 disposed in the reactor vessel 7 and immersed in the primary coolant 5; and a reflector 4 that vertically moves for adjusting leakage of neutrons generated from the reactor core 2 to control a reactivity of the reactor core 2, the reflector 4 including a neutron reflecting part 4a disposed on an outside of the reactor core 2 in a vertically movable manner, the neutron reflecting part 4a having a neutron reflecting ability higher than that of the primary coolant 5, and a cavity part 4b positioned above the neutron reflecting part 4a, the cavity part 4b having a neutron reflecting ability lower than that of the primary coolant 5. The neutron reflecting part 4a is formed of a plurality of metal plates 37 that are stacked on each other. Each of the metal plates 37 has a plurality of coolant channels 36 through which the primary coolant 5 flows.

Abstract: Methods for counting bacteria are described that include: (a) preparing an assay sample by staining a specimen using a fluorescent dye, thereby producing a difference in fluorescent intensity between live bacteria and dead bacteria; (b) detecting optical information from the assay sample; and (c) classifying and counting the live bacteria and the dead bacteria based on the detected optical information. Bacteria counting apparatuses and reagent kits for counting bacteria are also described.

Abstract: A dust-proof, reflecting mirror comprising a reflecting mirror substrate, a dust-proof coating having fine surface roughness, which is formed on a reflecting surface of the reflecting mirror substrate, and an outermost water-repellent or water/oil-repellent coating.

Abstract: An optical element comprising a lens having a portion with a surface inclination angle of 50° or more within an effective-diameter region, the portion being 10% or more of the effective-diameter region in a projected area, and an anti-reflection coating formed on the lens, the anti-reflection coating having fine roughness with three-dimensional average surface roughness of 5-100 nm on the surface.

Abstract: An apparatus for forming an optical film on a curved-surface, optically effective portion of a pickup lens having the optically effective portion and a circumferential flange, comprising a rotatable jig for fixedly holding the pickup lens, an apparatus for rotating the jig, a case rotatably supporting the jig, and a nozzle for spraying or dropping a coating solution containing an optical-film-forming component onto the pickup lens; the jig comprising a columnar table and a hollow cylindrical cover, the hollow cylindrical cover comprising tabs extending inward from an upper end of a cylindrical portion for fixedly holding the flange, and the coating solution being sprayed or dropped onto the optically effective portion, while rotating the jig at a rotation speed of 8,000 rpm or more with the deviation of rotation axis of 50 ?m or less.

Abstract: A method of staining bacteria comprises: working a polymethine dye on a sample in the presence of a substance capable of reducing nitrite ions to stain bacteria in the sample. A method of detecting bacteria comprises the following steps of: (1) working a polymethine dye on a sample by a method as described above to stain bacteria in the sample, (2) introducing the thus treated sample into a detecting part of a flow cytometer and irradiating cells of the stained bacteria one by one with light to measure scattered light and fluorescent light emitted from each of the cells; and (3) discriminating the bacteria from other components in accordance with an intensity of a scattered light signal and an intensity of a fluorescent light signal or a pulse width reflecting the length of particles to count the bacteria.

Abstract: The present invention provides a phosphonic acid diester compound represented by General Formula wherein R1, R2, R3 and R4 are the same or different, and represent hydrogen, halogen, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy; R5 is phenyl having on the phenyl ring 1–3 substituents selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl, halogen-substituted lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, halogen-substituted lower alkoxy, phenoxy, benzyloxy, hydroxyl, halogen, nitro, lower alkylthio, di(lower alkyl)amino, lower alkanolyamino, pyrrolidinyl and phenyl, or the like, provided that R5 is not mono(lower alkoxy)pheny; and R6 is lower alkyl; and an ACAT-1 inhibitor containing the compound as an active ingredient.

Abstract: A generating device to supply electricity to a monitoring device of abnormal state of tire at a lower cost for a long time. The generating device includes a single pendulum 4, a hammer 6 supported at a point S? on the circumference of a wheel 2, a spring 7 joining the single pendulum 4 and the hammer 6 by soft join, piezoceramics 8a and 8b converting distortion generated by the vibration adding force from the hammer 6 into a form of electricity, and cushion members 9a and 9b holding the positions of the piezoceramics 8a and 8b. A single pendulum 2 has vibrational frequency as same as or of integral multiplication of the rotational frequency of a tire 1.

Abstract: A dust-proof, light-transmitting member disposed on a light-receiving surface of an imaging device, comprising a light-transmitting substrate, at least a light-entering surface of which is provided with a dust-proof coating having fine roughness on the surface.

Abstract: A protective cover for a display panel, comprising a transparent substrate, and an anti-reflection, transparent medium layer comprising hollow, transparent, fine particles dispersed in a transparent resin matrix and sealed without gap between the a transparent substrate and an image-displaying area of the display panel, the refractive index N1 of the anti-reflection, transparent medium layer and the refractive index Ns of the transparent substrate meeting the following relation (1): No<N1<Ns2??(1), wherein No is the refractive index of air.

Abstract: An oscillating-type generator is provided in which an impact member impacts piezoelectric elements to generate electricity and which can efficiently increase the number of impacts and generate a large amount of electricity. This oscillating-type generator includes: a generator member 2 having an impact member 22 impacting piezoelectric elements 21 to generate electricity; and an elastic member 4 having elasticity, attached to the generator member 2 and, when applied an external force, adapted to oscillate the generator member 2 to cause the impact member 22 to repeat impacting the piezoelectric elements 21.

Abstract: A silica aerogel coating is produced by reacting a wet gel obtained by the hydrolysis and polymerization of alkoxysilane with an organic-modifying agent to form organically modified silica, dispersing the organically modified silica by an ultrasonic treatment to form an organically modified silica dispersion, adding an ultraviolet-curable resin and a photo-polymerization initiator to the dispersion to prepare a coating liquid, applying the coating liquid to a substrate, and then irradiating ultraviolet rays to the coated layer.

Abstract: A method for producing a silica aerogel coating comprising the steps of organically modifying a wet gel formed by the hydrolysis and polymerization of an alkoxysilane having an ultraviolet-polymerizable unsaturated group, and subjecting a layer of the resultant organically modified silica to ultraviolet irradiation and baking.

Abstract: In order to provide a piezoelectric generating apparatus which ensures by one-time beating an electricity generation of more than dozens of times an output current that a piezoelectric generating apparatus with a conventional steel ball produces, a piezoelectric generating apparatus 1 comprises a piezoelectric ceramic boy 10; a cushion member 3 which supports the piezoelectric ceramic body 10 in a soft condition of hardly transmitting a characteristic vibration of the piezoelectric ceramic body 10 to other structure; and a beating means 20 which has an impact on the piezoelectric ceramic body 10, the beating means 20 further comprising a hammer body 21, an elastic body 24 boosting the hammer body 21 in a direction of separating from the piezoelectric ceramic body 10 in the ordinary state and a switch member 27 changing a boosting direction of the elastic body 24.