Abstract: Apparatus for the destruction of inactivation of microbes by subjecting them to a high potential gradient. The apparatus includes a processing chamber containing spaced apart electrodes, at least one solid insulating barrier dividing the space within the chamber, the barrier having at least one passageway such that no fluid can pass through the chamber without flowing through the passageway, and a voltage source for providing a pulse of voltage.

Abstract: The present invention provides a laser leveling device, which comprises a light emitting unit for irradiating a laser beam, a rotating unit for rotating the laser beam for scanning, and a means for turning off the scanning laser beam so that a spotlike is formed in a specific direction. By forming a reference spot light, and aligning an irradiating point of the spot beam with the reference point, it is possible to install the laser leveling device 1 to the reference point and to perform accurate positioning of the laser leveling device by the scanning line of the laser beam formed on a portion other than the spot.

Abstract: A laser survey instrument, which comprises at least a main unit for emitting a laser beam and an object reflector for reflecting the laser beam from the main unit toward the main unit, whereby said main unit comprises an emitter for emitting the laser beam, a rotating unit for rotating and scanning the laser beam, a tilting mechanism for tilting the laser beam at an arbitrary angle at least in one direction with respect to a horizontal plane, a rotating angle detector interlocked with the rotating unit and for detecting irradiating direction of the laser beam, a reflection light detector for detecting reflection light from the object reflector, and an alignment display unit for detecting a deviation of direction with respect to the object reflector and a deviation of tilt angle based on a signal from the reflection light detector and for obtaining information on the deviation of direction or the tilt angle, the laser beam emitted from the main unit is irradiated to scan, the center of the object reflector is

Abstract: Apparatus (2) for measuring the quality of spot welds, comprising a housing (4); a fluid medium (6) in the housing (4); transmitter means (8) for transmitting at least one ultrasonic pulse through the fluid medium (6) to a spot weld (10), the ultrasonic pulse then reverberating in the spot weld (10); and receiver means (16) through which the ultrasonic pulse passes on its way to the spot weld (10), the receiver means (16) being ultrasonically sensitive so that it is able to receive echoes from the spot weld (10) by the reverberation of the ultrasonic pulse in the spot weld (10), the receiver means (16) comprising a plurality of ultrasonically sensitive elements (18), and the receiver means (16) being such that during use of the apparatus (2) the receiver means (16) is located adjacent the spot weld (10).

Abstract: To achieve economy of a transmission path with good quality of transmission and low expenditure compared to previous codes such as 4PSK-64PSK, the invention provides higher-value pulse duration encoding, such that there is provided only an alternating current of a frequency and phase position, with code elements of different pulse durations which are encoded by a different number of periods or half-periods. The following duration pulse is marked by an amplitude change.

Abstract: A toy ball which emits sounds as it is rolled, comprising: a ball body; and a plurality of mechanically-operated sound tubes carried within the ball body, each sound tube including a sliding whistle which moves along the tube by the force of gravity, and each sound tube lying along a longitudinal axis, in which the axes are transverse to one another, so that the sound tubes emit sound when the ball is moved along various axes.

Abstract: A method of providing a stabilized sugar cane juice product for use in soft drinks, that includes providing cleaned sugar cane sticks and extracting cane juice from the sticks. Thereafter, the extracted cane juice is acidified immediately upon extraction by feeding it into a solution comprising ascorbic acid for preventing discoloration of the cane juice and also by feeding it simultaneously into an acidic solution of one of citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid, phosphoric acid and a mixture thereof, for lowering the pH of the cane juice below a pH of 5. Furthermore, one of a sodium citrate solution, a potassium citrate solution, a sodium phosphate di-basic solution or a mixture thereof, is added to the cane juice for stabilizing it. The cane juice is then coagulated and flocculated to remove unwanted foulants and aromas.

Abstract: The present invention provides a construction equipment control system, comprising a rotary laser irradiating system for forming a laser beam reference plane by the laser beam and capable to tilt the laser beam reference plane, a level sensor installed on a ground leveling tool of construction equipment and for performing photodetection of the laser beam to give instruction on a height of the ground leveling tool, a GPS receiving system for detecting a position of the construction equipment, and a control device for controlling a gradient of the laser beam reference plane formed by the rotary laser irradiating system based on the detection result of the position of the construction equipment by the GPS receiving system, whereby ground leveling operation for a horizontal surface, an inclined surface and a curved surface can be performed by measuring the position of the construction equipment at real time and by controlling the height of the ground leveling tool based on working data.

Abstract: Novel thioglycerol derivatives, processes for their manufacture, and optical materials made from such compounds. The thioglycerol derivatives have high concentrations of sulfur relative to compounds conventionally used for optical materials, and thus exhibit high refractive indices without sacrificing processability.

Abstract: A method for producing an optically active erythro-3-amino-2-hydroxybutyric ester as an important intermediate of pharmaceutical agents, specifically HIV protease inhibitor, in high purity and in high yield. The method includes producing an optically active erythro-3-amino-2-hydroxybutyric ester by oxidizing the hydroxyl group at the 2-position of an optically active 3-amino-2-hydroxybutyric ester, optically active at the 3-position, as represented by formula (I): ##STR1## (wherein R.sup.1 represents a phenyl group or a cyclohexyl group; R.sup.2 represents a protective group and R.sup.3 represents an unsubstituted or substituted alkyl residue; the steric configuration of *1 represents S configuration or R configuration), and then reducing erythro-selectively the resulting product by using aluminum alkoxide.

Abstract: Compositions including one or more enzymes and as the compatible chelating surfactant, salts of N-acyl ethylenediaminetriacetic acid ("ED3A"). Salts of N-acyl ED3A do not readily denature various enzymes, and thus are highly compatible with such enzymes, and enhance their detergent effectiveness to an unexpected degree.

Abstract: This invention provides an energy ray curable composition which has excellent curability. The composition contains a cationic polymerizable substance, a photopolymerization initiator comprised of a specified onium salt and a pigment as occasion demands. The curable composition is excellent in curability, and cured paint films obtained therefrom shows excellent glossiness. This composition can be blended in white inks, printing inks, paints, resist inks, wood fillers and the like.

Abstract: An improved plastic covering, for protecting the top surface of a digital disc, which permanently bonds to the disc and a method for applying the same.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a scrap melting process for the production of molten iron from scrap (as the source of iron) and of high-calorie exhaust gas (as a valuable fuel gas) from pulverized coal (as the principal source of heat and a partial source of high-calorie exhaust gas) and waste plastics (as the principal source of high-calorie exhaust gas and a partial source of heat). The process comprises charging a shaft furnace (equipped with a burner at the tuyere) with scrap (as the iron source) and coke and optional waste plastics from the furnace top and injecting pulverized coal (or pulverized coal plus waste plastics) and oxygen through the burner under specific conditions, so as to mix together pulverized coal (or pulverized coal plus waste plastics) and oxygen, thereby achieving rapid combustion of pulverized coal etc.

Abstract: A method for casting-in-place composite and/or non-filled structures which are useful as sorptive or reactive media or for size-based separations. Any particular housing size or configuration can be used, and the inclusion of a large amount of adsorptive particles in polymer is achieved while still maintaining the membrane three dimensional structure. In a first preferred embodiment, the composite structures comprise particles entrapped within a porous polymeric substrate, and are cast in-place into a housing such as a pipette tip, thereby providing an effective platform for micromass handling. With the appropriate selection of particle chemistry, virtually any separation or purification operation can be conducted, including selective bind/elute chromatography operations, on sample mass loads less than 1 microgram in volumes of a few microliters, as well as larger mass loads and volumes. The present invention also encompasses the composite structures as well as sample preparation devices containing the same.

Abstract: A laser system for surveying, which comprises a laser light source unit, an optical system for irradiating a laser beam from the laser light source unit toward a given direction, whereby said laser light source unit is at least thermally isolated from the optical system, and the laser beam from the laser light source unit is guided toward the optical system by an optical fiber. Because the laser light source unit, or at least a heat generating portion of the light source unit is isolated from the optical system, no influence of heat from the laster light source unit is exerted on the optical system, and it is possible to prevent decrease of accuracy due to heat and to maintain the laser system for surveying in a condition to provide measurement at high accuracy.