Abstract: A PTC thermistor element for a heating device has a main body of a layered structure having a thinner layer and a thicker layer, sandwiched between electrodes formed on the main outer surfaces facing away from each other. The thinner layer has a thickness 0.05-0.43 times that of the thicker layer and is made of a PTC thermistor material with a Curie temperature which is lower than that of the thicker layer by 20.degree. C. or more. The center of heat generation is thus shifted towards the electrode formed on the thinner layer, and a heating plate contacting it can be effectively heated.

Abstract: An agent containing a polyether compound, a straight-chain polyether modified polyorganosiloxane of a specified kind and an ionic surfactant at specified ratios are applied at a specified rate to synthetic fibers subjected to a heat treatment such as false twisting.

Abstract: A sample cooler includes a cooling device such as a Peltier device and a rack for supporting vessels containing liquid samples. The rack is made of both a heat conducting material which is in a heat-communicating relationship with the side walls of the vessels and a thermally insulating material contacting the bottoms of the vessels such that the cooling device serves to cool the liquid samples through the heat conducting material and through the side walls of the vessels, not through the bottoms.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a novel class of compounds that are potent inhibitors of HIV reverse transcriptase and HIV integrase. In addition to being multienzyme inhibitors, the inventive compounds of the present invention are remarkable in at least two other respects. First, they do not appear to be toxic to cells at typical therapeutic concentrations. Second, they appear to be equally effective against mutant strains of HIV reverse transcriptase commonly found in patients who have developed resistance to current reverse transcriptase inhibitors. Because the inventive compounds show promise in combatting viral resistance and are potent inhibitors of both HIV reverse transcriptase and integrase, they are ideal candidates for use in combination with existing therapies or alone in treating AIDS or HIV infection.

Abstract: Cement dispersants which contain two specified kinds of water-soluble vinyl copolymers mixed at a specified ratio can produce cement compositions such as concrete with water/cement ratio of 20-40 weight % with a reduced slump loss and provide a high early strength.

Abstract: An electron capture detector has a detection cell containing an electrode and a radioactive isotope for ionizing a carrier gas and causing electrons to be emitted. Before the detection cell begins to be contaminated, a pulse voltage is applied to the electrode and the frequency of this pulse voltage is controlled by a loop control routine to find an initial pulse frequency value such that a current through the electrode due to the emitted electrons comes to have a specified current value as a carrier gas is introduced into the detection cell. When a sample is analyzed after the detection cell becomes contaminated, the same process is carried out before the sample is injected and a pre-measurement pulse frequency value is obtained. After the sample is injected, the same process is repeated to obtain a measured pulse frequency value.

Abstract: An improved multiple-width keyswitch capable of inhibiting noise thereof induced during operation is provided. The multiple-width keyswitch includes a keycap and a substrate. During operation, the keycap moves vertically relative to the substrate. The keycap defines a lower surface which is provided with a plurality of bosses. The substrate is provided with a plurality of openings. Each of the plurality of openings is disposed under one corresponding boss and covered with a deformable layer. When the keycap moves downward to turn on the keyswitch, each of the bosses first impacts the deformable layer into the corresponding opening such that the impact energy of the keycap is absorbed by the deformable layer. Thereby the noise induced by the impact of the keycap can be effectively inhibited. Embodiments and equivalent modifications of the invention are described in detail in the specification.

Abstract: A mixture of chromatographic particles and a solution of water, alcohol and metal alkoxide may be injected by means of a syringe into a capillary column as a gel. The volatile components in the gel are evaporated by means of heating and gas pressure reduction to form a porous sol-gel glass matrix attached to the inner wall of the separation channel. The pores are large enough for the passage of protons, neutral and ionic species but are too small to permit significant leaching of the chromatographic particles. The separation column so formed requires no frits to maintain the glass matrix in place in the column. Electrical potential difference and/or pressure difference may be applied to cause fluid flow in the separation column to cause electrophoretic and chromatographic separation.

Abstract: A form-fill-seal packaging machine has not only the basic elements such as devices for transporting a film and longitudinally and transversely sealing it but also a former and a chute formed integrally together as a former unit which is made detachably attachable to the frame structure of the packaging machine by an attachment mechanism. The former unit has wedge-shaped members, and the attachment mechanism includes a mobile member constrained to move linearly and a lever which is attached to the frame structure such that a one-touch operation to rotate this lever causes this mobile member to move towards or away from the wedge-shaped members on the former unit and to engage with them or disengage from them.

Abstract: A PTC thermistor has a disk-shaped main body with electrodes on its main surfaces which are facing mutually away from each other such that, during an initial period after a potential difference is applied between these electrodes, the side surface of the main body has an asymmetric temperature distribution between the electrodes in the direction normal to its main surfaces. The heat emission does not have a peak half-way between the electrodes in the direction of the thickness such that the thermistor has an improved resistance against flash pressure. This may be done by forming the electrodes in different sizes or by providing a non-uniform distribution in specific resistance to the main body such that the heat-emission peak is displaced from the center region between the two main surfaces of the main body.

Abstract: A packaging machine has a roll supporting device with a support shaft rotatably supporting a film roll which extends in an axial direction, an elongated bag-forming film being wrapped around the film roll, a bag forming device which pulls out the film from the film roll and forms the film into a shape of a bag, a packaging device for filling the bag-shaped film with articles to be packaged and sealing the film to produce a package, a roll displacing mechanism for displacing the roll supporting device in the axial direction, and a roll position controller for controlling the roll displacing mechanism to adjust the position of the roll supporting device. The bag forming device includes a former for bending the film into a tubular form and a former roller for guiding the film to the former.

Abstract: A push button switch is provided to include a key cap, a baseplate, a switch element, an internal arm element, an external arm element and an elastic element. The switch element is disposed on the baseplate and made selectively electrically conductive in response to up-and-down motion of the key cap. The internal arm element is movably connected to the baseplate and has a receiving space. The elastic member is disposed within the receiving space and moves responsive to movement of the key cap and selectively actuates the switch element. The improvement of the push button switch is characterized in that the internal arm element, which is movably connected to the baseplate, has a receiving space for accommodating the elastic member. The elastic member moves responsive to movement of the key cap and selectively actuates the switch element.

Abstract: A multiple reference voltages generation apparatus, which generates multiple reference voltages to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), is provided. The apparatus includes a resistor-string and a control device. The resistor-string has a first terminal and a second terminal for connecting respectively with a first reference voltage and a second reference voltage. The resistor-string comprises a plurality of series-connected resistors which define a plurality of nodes for outputting the multiple reference voltages. A plurality of Bit-Decision-Node {n<2.sup.k .times.j>, where k=0, . . . (m-1), j is an odd positive integer and (2.sup.k .times.j) is smaller than 2.sup.m } determine accuracy of a corresponding output bit a.sub.k of the ADC. A corresponding reference voltage Vn<.sub.2.sup.k .times.j> is output at each Bit-Decision-Node. The control device adjusts the voltage V.sub.n<2.spsb.k.sub..times.j> on Bit-Decision-Node n<2.sup.k .times.j> to make V.sub.n<2.spsb.k.sub..times.

Abstract: Two novel proteins have been designated "cerberus" and "frzb-1," respectively. Cerberus is expressed as a secreted peptide during embryogenesis of the Xenopus embryo, and is expressed specifically in the head organizer region. This new molecule has endodermal, cardiac, and neural tissue inducing activity, that should prove useful in therapeutic, diagnostic, and clinical applications requiring regeneration, differentiation, or repair of these and other tissues. Frzb-1 is a soluble antagonist of growth factors of the Wnt family that acts by binding to Wnt growth factors in the extracellular space. A third novel protein is designated "PAPC" which promotes the formation of dorsal mesoderm and somites in the embryo.

Abstract: For identifying components in a chromatographically analyzed sample, a chromatogram is produced and identification tables corresponding to presences and absences of specified components are preliminarily stored. Peaks corresponding to the specified components in the chromatogram are identified, and presences and absences of these specified components in the sample are thereby determined. A specified one of the identification tables is automatically selected according to the result of this determination of presences and absences, and components corresponding to individual peaks in the chromatogram are identified by using the selected identification table.

Abstract: A non-phase separable glass material for fabricating a GRIN lens comprises 5-20 mole % boron oxide and ratio R of network modifiers in mole % to the network former boron oxide in mole % is in the range of about 1-1.5. The melted preform of such glass material is extruded through an opening to form a glass rod where the extrusion process eliminates bubbles that may be present in the preform. Neodymium oxide may be added in the frit material for forming the preform to reduce friction forces in the extrusion process and reduces the stress in the glass rod. Centerless grinding may be performed to control the diameter and roughness of the surface of the rod to control the diffusion parameters during the subsequent ion-exchange.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes a plurality of resistors connected in series, each resistor associated with a fuse and a switching device such that the fuse can be selectively connected in parallel with it or to a line through which a current can be supplied to the fuse so as to break it. After the resistance of the device is measured and is found to require a fine adjustment by breaking a selected one or more of the fuses, this selection is communicated from outside in an encoded signal. A decoder serves to decode this encoded signal and causes a fusing current to break the selected fuse (or fuses). Thus, only a reduced number of pads are required to access the fuses from outside. A source of the fusing current may be also contained as a part of the semiconductor device and serve to attenuate a surge current, which may invade from outside, before it reaches the fuse.

Abstract: Compositions and methods for the preparation of enantiomerically enriched .alpha.,.alpha.-disubstituted amino acid precursors are presented. Briefly, allylic electrophiles are alkylated with oxazolones in the presence of a base and catalytic quantities of a transition metal complex incorporating a chiral phosphine ligand to yield 4,4-disubstituted-5(4H)-oxazolones. These precursors may be subsequently transformed either synthetically or enzymatically to yield enantiomerically enriched .alpha.,.alpha.-disubstituted amino acids.

Abstract: A liquid slurry containing spherical abrading particles of polyhedral monocrystalline alumina is supplied onto the target surface of a magnetic hard disk substrate to be textured while a polishing tape is pressed onto the target surface and the disk substrate is concurrently rotated. Because the contacting surfaces of these particles are spherical and have no sharp edges, they do not scratch the target surface or create grooves which are undesirably too deep.

Abstract: An ultraviolet and visible light absorbance detector uses a flow cell having a sample cell opening and a reference opening formed therethrough extending parallel to each other. The reference opening has a cross-sectional shape which is elongated in a direction perpendicular to the direction of its extension. An optical system causes an image of a slit to be formed with dispersed light over an area which includes light-receiving windows of both these openings, and portions of the dispersed light, after passing through these openings, are individually detected by light-receiving elements of a light-receiving device. Since the reference opening has an increased sectional area and its light throughput is increased, the absorbance noise due to the reference opening is reduced and the overall S/N ratio of the detector is improved.