Abstract: This invention provides an interleukin-31 (IL-31) production inhibitor and a pharmaceutical composition comprising the inhibitor. The invention also provides a novel compound useful as an active ingredient for an IL-31 production inhibitor. These comprise a compound represented by the following formula (1) or a salt thereof as an active ingredient: wherein A is a —NH—N?C(R1)— group, a divalent N-containing 5-membered heterocyclic group, or a —NH—CO— group, wherein R1 is a hydrogen atom or a C1-4 alkyl group, B is the same or different and is a C1-6 alkyl group optionally having one hydroxyl group, a mono or di(C1-6 alkyl)amino group optionally having one hydroxyl group, a halogen atom, a halo C1-6 alkyl group, a C2-6 alkynylene group, or a carboxy group, wherein at least one C1-6 alkyl group in the mono or di(C1-6 alkyl)amino group is optionally attached to a carbon atom adjacent to a carbon atom in the phenyl group to which it is attached, to form a 5- to 6-membered ring, and n is an integer of 1 to 5.

Abstract: Novel strains Paenibacillus sp. BS-0048, Paenibacillus sp. BS-0074, Paenibacillus polymyxa BS-0105 and Paenibacillus sp. BS-0277 and Fusaricidin A, Fusaricidin B and novel compounds 3 and 4 produced thereby have an activity of inducing resistance to plant diseases. Thus, they can protect plants from infections with fungi, bacteria, viruses and so on and, as a result, effectively control plant diseases.

Abstract: Novel strains Paenibacillus sp. BS-0048, Paenibacillus sp. BS-0074, Paenibacillus polymyxa BS-0105 and Paenibacillus sp. BS-0277 and Fusaricidin A, Fusaricidin B and novel compounds 3 and 4 produced thereby have an activity of inducing resistance to plant diseases. Thus, they can protect plants from infections with fungi, bacteria, viruses and so on and, as a result, effectively control plant diseases.

Abstract: An optical fiber splicer for splicing a plurality of first optical fibers arranged in spaced relationship with each other and a plurality of second optical fibers arranged in opposed relationship with the first optical fibers. The optical fiber splicer includes an XY table movable in XY directions orthogonal to each other, a tray mounted on the XY table, and first and second clamps for respectively clamping a selected one of the first optical fibers and a selected one of the second optical fibers to be spliced to the selected first optical fiber. The optical fiber splicer further includes first and second electrodes extending vertically and aligned with each other, first and second cameras located so as to interpose the first electrode, and an image processing unit for processing images picked up by the first and second cameras.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber recoating device, and to an improvement in the molds employed in this device. The optical fiber recoating device is provided for filling a recoating resin into molds, wherein semicircular mold grooves in molds into which the recoating resin is filled are longer than a bare fiber portion of an optical fiber, and an outer diameter of mold groove is larger than the outer diameter of semicircular sheath engaging grooves that engage a sheath of the optical fiber. As a result, a cylindrically shaped extending portion which extends to the sheath is formed to each end of the recoated sheath, so that joining strength of the recoated sheath is improved.

Abstract: An optical fiber edge surface processing method has the steps of capturing a transmitted-light image of end portions of two optical fibers placed facing each other, and extracting, based on a brightness distribution in the transmitted-light image, edge surface information of each of the two optical fibers to be spliced together; selecting a discharge condition corresponding to the edge surface information from among a plurality of discharge conditions prestored in a storage unit; and melting the splicing edge surfaces of the two optical fibers in accordance with the selected discharge condition, and thereby shaping the splicing edge surfaces. With this method, splice loss can be reduced in a simple manner, even when the edge surface angle of each optical fiber, or the relative edge surface angle between the two optical fibers, or the amount of chipping at the splicing cross section of each optical fiber, is large.

Abstract: An optical fiber splicer for splicing a plurality of first optical fibers arranged in spaced relationship with each other and a plurality of second optical fibers arranged in opposed relationship with the first optical fibers. The optical fiber splicer includes an XY table movable in XY directions orthogonal to each other, a tray mounted on the XY table, and first and second clamps for respectively clamping a selected one of the first optical fibers and a selected one of the second optical fibers to be spliced to the selected first optical fiber. The optical fiber splicer further includes first and second electrodes extending vertically and aligned with each other, first and second cameras located so as to interpose the first electrode, and an image processing unit for processing images picked up by the first and second cameras.

Abstract: The invention relates to a recoating method for optical fiber, and in particular to prevent incorporation of bubbles into the recoating resin. In a recoating method for optical fiber, a bare fiber portion of an optical fiber is recoated by guiding recoating resin into mold forms, and the injection speed of the recoating resin injected into the mold forms is such that bubbles are not trapped due to the resin injection. This injection speed is preferably equal to or less than 6 mm/second.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical fiber recoating device, and to an improvement in the molds employed in this device. The optical fiber recoating device is provided for filling a recoating resin into molds, wherein semicircular mold grooves in molds into which the recoating resin is filled are longer than a bare fiber portion of an optical fiber, and an outer diameter of mold groove is larger than the outer diameter of semicircular sheath engaging grooves that engage a sheath of the optical fiber. As a result, a cylindrically shaped extending portion which extends to the sheath is formed to each end of the recoated sheath, so that joining strength of the recoated sheath is improved.

Abstract: A recoating method for an optical fiber recoats a uniform thickness of resin on a covering-resin-removed-area of an optical fiber. The covering-resin-removed-area is rotated relatively to a resin supplying device while supplying the resin to the covering-resin-removed-area.