Abstract: A rubber composition comprising a diene rubber, a reinforcing agent and a compound containing radicals capable of being stably present at room temperature in the presence of oxygen in the molecule thereof, selected from the group consisting of nitroxide radicals, hydrazyl radicals, allyloxyl radicals, and trityl radicals and the analogues thereof or a compound having at least one substituent group selected from amino groups, isocyanate groups, hydroxyl groups, carboxyl groups, oxirane groups, and thiirane groups.

Abstract: A conveyance apparatus, and more particularly, an improvement of a transfer aid mechanism which allows a patient to be transferred from a bed to a wheelchair, for example, is disclosed. The transfer aid mechanism according to the invention includes casters disposed at four locations on a frame, and a drive mechanism which is elevatable with respect to the frame. When required, the drive mechanism is lowered to bring its drive wheel into contact with a floor, and when the drive wheel is driven for rotation under this condition, the transfer aid mechanism may be moved back and forth by utilizing the drive wheel alone. Accordingly, a travelling movement of the transfer aid mechanism is facilitated if there is a carpet laid over the floor or there is a step in the floor.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a road traffic condition and for controlling a vehicle running characteristic includes a controller having a fuzzy inference function and a neural network function. The controller carries out frequency analysis on vehicle driving parameters such as vehicle speed, steering angle, accelerator opening degree, and longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration of a vehicle, to thereby determine a mean value and variance of each parameter. It implements fuzzy inference based on a traveling time ratio, an average speed, and an average lateral acceleration, which are obtained from vehicle speed and/or steering angle, to thereby calculate road traffic condition parameters, including a city area degree, a jammed road degree, and a mountainous road degree.

Abstract: An apparatus for estimating a vehicle maneuvering state and controlling a vehicle running characteristic includes a controller having a fuzzy estimating function and a neural network function. The controller carries out frequency analysis on vehicle driving parameters such as vehicle speed, steering angle, opening degree of an accelerator, and longitudinal acceleration and lateral acceleration of a vehicle, to thereby determine a mean value and variance of each parameter. It implements fuzzy inference based on a traveling time ratio, an average speed, and an average lateral acceleration, which are obtained from vehicle speed and/or steering angle, to thereby calculate road traffic condition parameters, including a city area degree, a jammed road degree, and a mountainous road degree.

Abstract: A method for preparing a highly heat-resistant and burning-resistant poly(silyleneethynylene phenyleneethynylene) having a repeated unit represented by the following structural formula (1A): ##STR1## wherein the phenylene group may be in the o-, m- or p-form, R represents a halogen atom or an alkyl group, alkoxy group, phenoxy group, alkenyl group, alkynyl group, aromatic group, disubstituted amino group or silanyl group; n is an integer ranging from 0 to 4; and R' represents a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group, alkenyl group, alkynyl group or aromatic group, a product obtained by the method and a hardened product obtained by heat-treating, at a temperature ranging from 50.degree.to 700.degree. C., the poly(silyleneethynylene phenyleneethynylene).

Abstract: A driving torque controlling system by which a vehicle can drive with safety and certainty while maintaining an appropriate posture without dissatisfying the will of a driver very much. The driving torque controlling system comprises a control signal selecting section which selects, in response to a predetermined change-over condition, one of control signals from a turning control unit for setting an aimed driving torque in response to a magnitude of lateral acceleration applied to the vehicle during turning of the vehicle and a slip control unit for setting an aimed driving torque in response to an amount of slip of a driving wheel of the vehicle. A torque controlling unit receives a selected control signal from the control signal selecting means and reduces the driving torque of the vehicle in response to the received control signal independently of operation by a driver of the vehicle.

Abstract: A speaker cabinet in which a cross section of an outer peripheral portion (11) is formed as an elliptic shape and opening portions (22 to 25) formed on the outer peripheral portion (11) and into which speakers (2 to 5) are mounted are formed as horn shapes whose diameters are improved toward the outside. The speaker cabinet includes a plywood member (10) that is formed by laminating a hard plate member, a soft plate member and a light and soft rear surface plate member on a face front surface plate member. The cabinet is molded in a predetermined curved fashion to have an elliptic shape. Thus, an acoustic characteristic of the speaker cabinet can be increased and a manufacturing cost of the speaker cabinet can be reduced.

Abstract: In a turning control apparatus for a vehicle, a torque calculation unit calculates a target lateral acceleration of the vehicle according to detection signals from a steering angle sensor for detecting the direction of a steering wheel and a vehicle speed sensor for detecting the speed of the vehicle. It then sets target driving torque of the engine according to the target lateral acceleration. An electronic control unit controls the operation of a torque control device for reducing driving of the engine so that the driving torque of the engine is a target driving torque independent of manipulation by the driver. This thereby rapidly estimates lateral acceleration applied to the vehicle during turning and prevents control delay to enable stable and positive traveling through a curved road.

Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling the output of a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. The control apparatus includes a torque control unit and an electronic control unit, is electrically connected to various sensors for detecting the running conditions of the vehicle, and is capable of controlling, e.g., the operations of a throttle valve and an ignition plug, to thereby control the driving torque of the engine. The control apparatus calculates a reference driving torque of the engine on the basis of the vehicle speed, and also calculates a slippage of the driving wheels on the basis of a deviation of peripheral speed between the driving and driven wheels.

Abstract: A four wheel driving vehicle includes a center differential gear wherein a differential operation limit is achieved by a wet hydraulic multiple disk clutch and is improved in running performance, turning performance, acceleration performance and so forth. An engaging force of the clutch and hence a hydraulic pressure to be supplied to the clutch are controlled in accordance with a steering angle, a vehicle speed, an advancing direction acceleration, an engine output torque, a differential operation speed difference between front and rear wheels and so forth to obtain a desired torque distribution suitable for a current running condition of the vehicle.

Abstract: An output control apparatus for a vehicle includes a torque reduction device for reducing driving torque of an engine independent of manipulation by the driver and a vehicle speed detection device for detecting a vehicle speed. It further includes a reference driving torque setting device for setting a reference driving torque according to the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection device. A reference torque setting device is further included for setting a reference driving torque according to a slip amount of the driving wheels. A target driving torque setting device is further included for setting a target driving torque from the reference driving torque set by the reference torque setting device according to a peripheral speed of the driving wheels. A torque control unit is also included for controlling operation of the torque reduction device so that the driving torque is that of the target driving torque set by the target driving torque setting device.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for learning the neutral position of vehicle steering angle, in which first neutral position decision means decides that the steering shaft is at a neutral position when a running speed detector detects that the vehicle speed is not less than a predetermined threshold level, that the difference in peripheral speed between the right and left drive wheels is smaller than a predetermined first straight-running threshold value and also when a steering shaft reference position sensor continues to detect a reference position of the steering shaft for at least a first count time. The vehicle steering angle is computed on the basis of the angular displacement from the neutral position thus learned.

Abstract: An output control apparatus for a vehicle which includes a torque reduction device for reducing driving torque of an engine independent of manipulation by the driver and a filter device for outputting a corrected longitudinal direction acceleration, varying according to changes in longitudinal direction acceleration of the vehicle body with a predetermined delay time and maintaining the output during a speed shift above the value immediately before the speed shift. A reference torque setting device is further included for setting a reference driving torque according to a slip amount of the driving wheels. A target driving torque setting device is also included for correcting the reference driving torque according to the slip amount of the driving wheels to set a target driving torque.

Abstract: An engine output controlling system for a vehicle by which a driving torque produced by the engine is utilized effectively and such a possible slip of a driving wheel the vehicle that makes driving of the vehicle difficult. The system detects a slipping condition of the driving wheel, sets an aimed driving torque of the engine in accordance with the slipping condition thus detected, and controls the engine to generate the aimed driving torque thus set and controls the engine to retard the ignition timing thereof when the detected slipping condition is excessively great. The system obtains a slip changing rate of the driving wheel, and sets a retard amount, with which the ignition timing is to be retarded, in accordance with the slip changing rate detected.

Abstract: An apparatus for effecting a method for estimating the friction coefficient of a road surface according to the present invention comprises front- and rear-wheel rotation sensors for detecting the running speed of a vehicle, a linear G sensor for detecting an actual transverse acceleration of the vehicle, a steering angle sensor for detecting the steering angle of front wheels, and a torque calculating unit supplied with the vehicle speed, actual transverse acceleration, and steering angle detected by means of these sensors. In the torque calculating unit, which takes account of an assumed value of the stability factor of the vehicle in addition to the vehicle speed, actual transverse acceleration, and steering angle, a target transverse acceleration required by a driver is calculated, for example, and whether or not the friction coefficient of the road surface is low is then estimated according to the relationship between the calculated target transverse acceleration and the actual transverse acceleration.

Abstract: A control apparatus for controlling the output of a vehicle equipped with an internal combustion engine. The control apparatus includes a torque control unit and an electronic control unit, is electrically connected to various sensors for detecting the running conditions of the vehicle, and is capable of controlling, e.g., the operations of a throttle valve and an ignition plug, to thereby control the driving torque of the engine. The control apparatus calculates a reference driving torque of the engine on the basis of the vehicle speed, and also calculates a slippage of the driving wheels on the basis of a deviation of peripheral speed between the driving and driven wheels.

Abstract: A hybridoma producing a monoclonal antibody specific for free N-acetylneuraminic acid or beta glycoconjugates thereof, is herein disclosed. The hybridoma can be generated by fusing (i) B cells of lymphocytes obtained by immunizing an animal with an N-acetylneuraminic acid or a beta-glycoconjugate thereof, and (ii) myeloma cells.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody specifically recognizes an epitope or an antigenic determinant represented by the following formula and specifically reacts therewith: ##STR1## The monoclonal antibody can be obtained by cultivating hybridoma cells which can be generated by a method comprising cell-fusing (A) B cells or lymphocytes obtained by immunizing an animal with a substance involving the epitope or the antigenic determinant represented by the foregoing formula and (B) myeloma cells. The monoclonal antibody shows high specificity to ganglioside GQ.sub.1b and ganglioside GT.sub.1a having a specific epitope and thus can detect the epitope in high sensitivity. Therefore, the antibody can be used for the elucidation of sugar chain's roles in cell functions and for studying the development of animals. Moreover, the monoclonal antibody would have various clinical applications.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a sodium salt of sialosyl cholesterol. The present compound has an excellent high water solubility, and therefore the compound is very useful as a medicine to be used for treating various diseases derived from lesions of peripheral or central nerves.

Abstract: A sialic acid derivative having an active carbonyl group represented by the formula [I]: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 represents hydrogen or acetyl group; R.sup.2 represents hydrogen, a metal or a lower alkyl group; R.sup.3 represents hydrogen, hydroxyl gorup, or a residue removed hydrogen from an alcohol portion of an active ester; Ac represents acetyl group; and n is 1 to 20, respectively. This sialic acid derivative [I] can be utilized as a starting material for various complex having a sialic acid in the molecule since it has an active carbonyl group in the molecules so that it shows high reactivity.