Abstract: The invention relates to bis(substituted phenoxyacetates) of N-alkyl-dialkanolamines.These compounds are of the formula: ##STR1## wherein: X is chlorine, fluorine or trifluoromethyle,n is in the range from 1 to 3 and is preferably 2,R is a lower alkyl group, such as methyl or ethyl group, and the pharmaceutically acceptable salts of said compounds.Application: prevention and treatment of cerebral disorders.

Abstract: The anchor comprises a shank and a rocker which is mounted in the vicinity of one end of the shank to pivot about an axis perpendicular to the shank and to the rocker and which has two equal branches constituting the arms of the anchor. Each arm carries at its free end a ploughshare whose convergent end portion faces the other end of the shank. The convex faces of the two ploughshares are disposed in confronting relation. In operation, the anchor operates in the same way as conventional so-called "plough" anchors in hard grounds, whereas the two ploughshares sink into and simultaneously operate in very soft grounds.

Abstract: The invention relates to new compounds useful notably as regulator of immune responses and which are derivatives of muramyl peptides substituted at the end of the peptide chain by a group containing at least four carbon atoms.

Abstract: The invention pertains to a method for the study of the behaviour or detection of cells, organites or cellular fractions, possibly present in a medium.It comprises providing said medium with the essential nutrients to promote the activity of the said cells, organites or cellular fractions, if any, as well as with an "electron transporter" such as lipoic acid which is liable of forming a redox system and of intervening in one of the metabolic routes involved by the above said activity, particularly growth of cells.The method of the invention then further comprises measuring and detecting a possible modification of the relative proportions of the oxidized and reduced form of the "electron transporter". The time required for such modification to possibly take place, as well as other parameters of the reaction can then be correlated to the presence in the medium concerned of a cellular activity or analogous.

Abstract: A hybrid plasmid comprising at least the DNA of a bacterial plasmid, all or part of the DNA of the 2.mu. plasmid of yeast and a segment of DNA including the gene URA.sub.3.sup.+ of yeast. These plasmids are useful as vectors of exogenous DNA in yeasts.

Abstract: A method and a digital computer for providing the result of a calculation performed upon data having a floating point representation, with the number of exact significant figures in this result. With every mantissa of initial data is associated an item of error information having a floating point representation and which has a value of zero when the real value of the initial data and the value thereof in its digital representation coincide and which does not have a value of zero when the real value of the initial data and the value thereof in its digital representation do not coincide. The first operation is carried out by employing the digital representation and the item of error information of the mantissa in order to calculate a mean value of the mantissa of the result and the item of error information associated with the mean value.

Abstract: The invention relates to a selector device for the remote control of the position of a member 4 relative to a support 3 through a control means 8 acting at one end of a flexible traction coupling, particularly a cable 11, whose other end is connected, through connection means L, to said member 4. The connection means L comprise:a piece p provided with notches c whose number is at least equal to the number of positions to be given to said member 4;and means E, G, for moving the piece p, adapted to cooperate with the notches of this latter in response to the movements of the control means.

Abstract: The invention relates to a device sensitive to a temperature gradient or to a heat flow comprising at least one elementary cell formed by a thin layer made from a first electric conductor or semiconductor, such as constantan, coated with a very thin electrolytic layer of a second electric conductor or semiconductor, such as copper.It has been discovered that induced electric currents flow through the surface separating the conductors, the electric voltages observed in each of the conducting or semiconducting layers being proportional to the instantaneous spatial mean of the surface thermal gradient.The invention also relates to the application of such cells for measuring temperature gradients and heat flows and for converting heat energy into electric energy.

Abstract: A gas scintillation proportional counter, with a photosensitive layer, is coupled, through a UV transparent window, to a multi-anode proportional chamber filled with a gas mixture (for instance an argon triethylamine-methane mixture) having a large quantum efficiency for the UV photons. When detecting incident photons, there is obtained the good efficency of photosensitive layers and the satisfactory two-dimensional coordinate localization of multiwire proportional chambers.

Abstract: The same assembly is used to first record the homodyne spectrum from the light diffused from a single beam FL.sub.2, with a mask D.sub.1 masking the beam FL.sub.1. On the passage of a critical frequency f.sub.c, mask D.sub.1 is removed, the aperture of a diaphragm D.sub.2 is reduced, and the heterodyne spectrum produced by FL.sub.1 and FL.sub.2 is recorded as received by a photomultiplier PM and a spectrum analyzer AS.

Abstract: Method for molding articles from agglomerated particles utilizes a press and a plurality of molds mounted to circulate in a closed path. After the pressing step a mold is aligned at one end of a row of molds, the row is placed under pressure and the articles therewithin caused to set. Simultaneously a mold is withdrawn from the other end of the row. The latter mold is then emptied, and the emptied mold returned to the press. The aligned molds are fastened together during the setting step. The invention includes apparatus for carrying out this process.

Abstract: A process for artificially modifying atmospheric precipitation wherein a liquid composition containing dimethyl sulfoxide as the principal ingredient is dispersed into the atmosphere from a container in microdroplet form having an average diameter ranging from 1 to 10 microns.

Abstract: A biodegradable bone prosthesis or implant is made of a coherent material comprising calcium carbonate in crystalline form. The prosthesis or implant is in the form of a filler or replacement part for bone substance. It can also be in the form of a pin or screw.

Abstract: An improved fibrous scouring material is disclosed, that material comprising a fibrous band in the form of a three-dimensional lattice of drawn irregular fibers obtained from a plastic bilaminar film, those fibers being helically crimped and self-bonded together at their mutual contact points, the helically crimped fibers exhibiting sharp corner-edges and being interconnected by helically crimped fibrils. The thickness of the fibers is typically between 100 and 200 microns. The process for manufacturing such scouring material is also disclosed, which process includes steps of extruding a bilaminar film, drawing and fibrillating the film, stacking the fibrillated lattice and thermally treating same to induce crimping and self-bonding.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for positioning a supple piece in sheet form on a support surface and to a handling installation applying this process, whereby the piece on the storage support is gripped by two so-called gripping points, these points are displaced along parallel paths above the support surface so that one end of the piece trails on this surface, and each of said gripping points is released independently of each other, as soon as the trailing free edge of the piece passes through a respective point of alignment of the support surface. The invention is particularly applied to the automatic supply of a sewing station.

Abstract: An ultrasonic imaging device comprises transducers distributed along a line and operable at a frequency f. A generator delivers electrical pulses to time delay means which provide, in response to each electrical pulse, a plurality of low level pulses delayed by increased time delays in a number lower than the number of transducers. The distribution of the time delays between the transducers is stored in memory means and corresponds to focusing at a point located at a predetermined distance from the line. A plurality of amplifiers are each associated with an individual one of the transducers and deliver an energizing pulse to the associated transducer in response to a particular one of the low level pulses appearing on an associated channel of a bus line which is selected by the memory.

Abstract: The invention relates to new chemical compounds.They are compounds corresponding to formula Ia. ##STR1## in which: R'.sub.3 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxy radical; R'.sub.5 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxy radical; or R'.sub.3 and R'.sub.5 together represent an epoxy bridge or a double bond; R".sub.5 represents a hydrogen atom or an ethyl radical; R'.sub.7 and R'.sub.8 are the same or different and represent a hydrogen atom or a methyl, hydroxymethylene, alkoxymethylene, aryloxymethylene, aminomethylene, monoalkyl or dialkyl aminomethylene, acylmethylene, arylaminomethylene, hydroxyethyl aminomethylene, alkylthiomethylene, aryloxythiomethylene or cyanomethylene radical; R.sub.1 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, formyl or acyl radical: R.sub.2 represents a hydrogen atom or an alkoxy radical; R.sub.7 represents an alkanoyloxy radical, the broken line representing an optional double bond.These compounds can be used as drugs.

Abstract: A magnetic field having an alternate component in a predetermined direction is produced in a zone and electrons are injected into this zone perpendicularly to said direction. To this end a winding is connected to a source for supplying current pulses having a predetermined duration. A split tube is placed coaxially within the winding and has an inner wall which provides periodic or nearly periodic variations. The split tube is formed of material having good electrical conductivity and has a skin thickness which is considerably smaller than the tube thickness at the frequency corresponding to the reciprocal of the time-duration of the current pulses.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of unsaturated sulphones. It relates to a process in which unsaturated sulphones are prepared by sulphonation of the corresponding diene compound in the presence of a palladium catalyst, the sulphonating agent being a sulphinic acid or a sulphinate in the presence of an acid. The sulphones obtained are synthesis intermediates, particularly in the preparation of vitamins A and E.

Abstract: The invention relates to contact-making between a gas phase, at least one liquid phase, and at least one comminuted solid phase.The process uses a cell or compartment provided with at least one deflecting means such as the sloping wall 3 designed to impart an overall circulatory motion to the solid phase and with gas phase distributor 1, supplying this compartment with solid products, supplying this compartment with a liquid phase so as to cover entirely the solid when at rest, and feeding the compartment with the gas phase through the distributor 1 for the purpose of generating in said compartment a periodic pulsing stage consisting of gas-phase decompressions and layer contractions.The invention permits achieving an intimate contact between three distinct phases for the purpose of transfer(s) or of reaction(s) between these phases.