Bridgestone Corporation

Japan Science and Technology Agency

Yasushi Imai

Shinichi Toyosawa

Naruhiko Mashita

Tadashi Utsunomiya

Yoshihide Fukahori

Youichi Nishimuro

Takashi Shimizu

Kunio Machida

Jun Arai

Hirotaka Yamazaki

Takahiro Matsuse

Takashi Kadowaki

Ryozo Nagai

Toshimasa Yamauchi

Akihiko Ogino

Tetsuya Kubota

Youkou Saito

Tetsuo Noda

Yuichiro Wakana

Yasunori Fukuda

Naoto Kubota

Tomohiro Ogata

Shosan Shibata

Tatsuhiko Hosokawa

Tsunehiro Yamamoto

Ichiro Akasaka

Takeshi Ohba

Yasuo Terauchi

A scavenger receptor A expression down-regulator and a drug for preventing or treating arteriosclerosis which contain, as the active ingredient, a C-terminal globular domain of adiponectin, adiponectin, or a gene encoding the domain or adiponectin. According to the present invention, there is provided a preventive or therapeutic agent capable of directly preventing intimal thickening, which constitutes an essential feature of arteriosclerosis. This effect can be attained through arresting the onset and development of arteriosclerosis by reducing the expression level of scavenger receptor A in arterial walls and preventing lipid buildup in macrophages.

Method for treating arteriosclerosis

A gasket integrated with a cover wherein a gasket material composed of a thermoplastic elastomer composition is integrally fixed to the cover having a shape of multistep contraction over at least two contraction steps, a gasket wherein the cover and the gasket are integrally molded and after molding, are subjected to a heating treatment at a temperature not lower than the temperature at which an adhesive component in materials constituting the gasket initiates crystal fusion or glass transition, or a gasket wherein the cover and the gasket are integrally molded and a covering layer composed of a fluoropolymer is formed on the gasket surface on atmospheric side are proposed. According to the present invention, a gasket integrated with a cover for a hard disc device which gasket is excellent in adhesive property and productivity, and is minimized in permeability and penetration of substances is provided.

Cover-integrated gasket

There are disclosed a resin composition which is excellent in rubber elasticity, oil maintainability and adhesivity to a metal, and comprises a thermoplastic elastomer composition comprising a (a1) hydrogenated block copolymer which is obtained by hydrogenating a block copolymer consisting essentially of a polymer block composed principally of a vinyl aromatic compound and a polymer block composed principally of a conjugated diene compound, which has a weight average molecular weight of at least 200,000, in which the polymer block composed principally of a vinyl aromatic compound is polystyrene, and in which the content by weight of the polystyrene moiety contained in the hydrogenated block copolymer is 20 to 40%; a (b1) non-aromatic rubber-softening agent having a kinematic viscosity at 40&deg; C. of at least 300 mm s ; and a (c1) modified polyolefinic resin, the resin composition having a hardness according to JIS K6253 of at most 50 degrees and a compression set according to JIS K6262 of at most 50%; a composite molded body of a metal and the thermo-plastic elastomer composition such as a gasket integrated with a metallic sheet; and processes for producing the above products.

Resin composition, gasket material and gasket integrated with metal

A composite structure comprising a metallic sheet and two thermoplastic material layers of a layer (A) and a layer (B) which are placed in turn and integrated with each other, characterized in that the layer (A) comprises a thermoplastic material capable of being thermally fusedly adhered to the thermoplastic material in the layer (B), the metallic sheet and the layer (A) are adhered to each other, and the layers (A) and (B) are thermally fusedly adhered to each other; and a process for producing a composite structure which comprises installing, on a metallic sheet by coating, a layer (A) comprising a thermoplastic material capable of being thermally fusedly adhered to a thermoplastic material in a layer (B) to be placed thereon, and further installing the layer (B) on the layer (A) by thermally fusedly adhering a desirable thermoplastic material on the (A).

Composite structure and production method thereof

There are disclosed a thermoplastic elastomer composition which comprises (a) a hydrogenated block copolymer obtained by hydrogenating the block copolymer comprising at least one polymer block composed principally of a vinylic aromatic compound and at least one polymer block composed principally of a conjugated diene compound; (b) a non-aromatic base softening agent having a kinematic viscosity at 40&deg; C. of at least 100 mm /sec; and (c) propylene homopolymer and/or propylene copolymer comprising propylene as a principal component which is obtained through polymerization by using a metallocene catalyst, which is free from a lubricant, which has been heat treated, or which has a MFR (melt flow rate) in a specific range; a gasket material which comprises the above thermoplastic elastomer composition and is particularly suited for use in hard disc units because of its excellent sealing properties and its capability of preventing gas generation; a method for injection molding the above composition; an external anti-sticking agent for a thermoplastic elastomer or rubber which comprises fine particulates of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene having an average particle diameter in a specific range, and which is minimized in hygroscopicity, oil absorptivity and volatility, and has high heat resistance and anti-stickiness; and rubber and/or a thermoplastic elastomer which is incorporated with the above external anti-sticking agent and imparted with anti-stickiness.

Thermoplastic elastomer composition and gasket material

A paper feed roll is formed of a rubber composition comprising (A) a composite material having a low molecular weight material retained in a medium material and (B) a rubber material. The low molecular weight material has a viscosity of up to 5.times.10.sup.5 centipoise at 100.degree. C. The difference in solubility parameter between the low molecular weight material and the medium material is up to 3.0. The weight ratio of the low molecular weight material to the medium material is at least 1.0. The difference in solubility parameter between the low molecular weight material and the rubber material is up to 4.0. A paper feed apparatus comprising the paper feed roll is also provided.

Paper feed roll and apparatus

A polymeric reticulated structure is prepared by mixing an ethylene-propylene copolymer having an ethylene content of at least 60% by weight or a thermoplastic block copolymer terminated with a crystalline ethylene block with a low molecular weight material. The low molecular weight material is trapped in the three-dimensional continuous network the copolymer forms.

Polymeric reticulated structure and method for making

A blend of high-molecular and a low-molecular organic material contains the high-molecular organic material in a proportion smaller than that of the low-molecular organic material, and has a three-dimensionally continuous network skeleton structure formed by the high-molecular organic material. The structure preferably has an average cell or mesh diameter not exceeding 500 microns. The removal of the low-molecular organic material from the blend gives a functional porous material consisting of the high-molecular organic material. The replacement of the low-molecular organic material in the blend with a solid or liquid, or a mixture thereof, gives a functional composite material containing the solid or liquid, or their mixture in the network skeleton structure.

High-molecular materials and processes for manufacturing the same

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Kanagawa-ken, Japan

Yasushi Imai