Abstract: Process for production of .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylic acid amide of the general formula (A), comprising hydrating cyanhydrin of the general formula (B) by the use of a modified manganese dioxide catalyst containing one or more of zirconium, vanadium, and tin, and an alkali metal element. ##STR1## wherein all the symbols are as defined in the appended claims.

Abstract: Carboxylic acid esters, industrially important compounds, are efficiently obtained by reacting carboxylic acid amides with formic acid esters in the presence of an inorganic solid acid catalyst.

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing .alpha.-hydroxy-carboxylic acid amide represented by the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are as defined in the specification, by a catalytic hydration reaction of cyanohydrin represented by the formula (II): ##STR2## which comprises using a modified manganese dioxide containing one or more of an alkali metal element and an alkaline earth element in an amount of 0.05 to 0.5 based on the manganese element in terms of atomic ratio.

Abstract: The partial differential equations inputted with respect to an unknown quantity A are processed according to the finite element method in which simultaneous first-order equations equivalent to the partial differential equations are obtained, and then a matrix equation equivalent to the simultaneous first-order equations, namely, (k.sub.ij) (a.sub.i)=(d.sub.i) is processed to derive a coefficient {a.sub.j } so as to generate a program which calculates the unknown quantity A. For each group of a plurality of elements, the program calculates a contribution determined by the positions of the nodes associated with the elements with respect to a portion of matrix element group such as k.sub.lm and k.sub.ll and a portion of constant group such as d.sub.l and d.sub.m determined by the numbers assigned to a plurality of nodes contained in the group of a plurality of elements and then generates the final values of the matrix element group {k.sub.ij } and the constant {d.sub.

Abstract: A combination type standard cell having low temperature coefficients is obtained by combining a plurality of Cd cells, Cd-Pb cells, Cd-Sn cells, Sn-Pb-Cd cells, with the direction of polarity reversed in some of the component cells and a plurality of cells combined in serial connection all in the same direction of polarity.