Abstract: Provided is a magnetic refrigeration material represented by the formula La1-fREf(Fe1-a-b-c-d-eSiaCobXcYdZe)13 (RE: at least one of rare earth elements including Sc and Y and excluding La; X: Ga and/or Al; Y: at least one of Ge, Sn, B, and C; Z: at least one of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Zr; 0.03?a?0.17, 0.003?b?0.06, 0.02?c?0.10, 0?d?0.04, 0?e?0.04, 0?f?0.50), and having an average crystal grain size of not smaller than 0.01 ?m and not larger than 3 ?m, a Curie temperature of not lower than 250 K, and the maximum (??Smax) of magnetic entropy change (??SM) when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla is not less than 5 J/kgK.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic refrigeration material which has a Curie temperature near room temperature or higher, and provides refrigeration performance well over that of conventional materials when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla, which is assumed to be achievable with a permanent magnet. The magnetic refrigeration material is of a composition represented by the formula La1-fREf(Fe1-a-b-c-d-eSiaCObXcYdZe)13 (RE: at least one of rare earth elements including Sc and Y and excluding La; X: Ga and/or Al; Y: at least one of Ge, Sn, B, and C; Z: at least one of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Zr; 0.03?a?0.17, 0.003?b?0.06, 0.02?c?0.10, 0?d?0.04, 0?e?0.04, 0?f?0.50), and has Tc of not lower than 220 K and not higher than 276 K, and the maximum (??Smax) of magnetic entropy change (??SM) of the material when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla is not less than 5 J/kgK.

Abstract: Provided are hydrogen storage alloy powder capable of providing a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery with simultaneous excellence in initial activity, discharge capacity, and cycle characteristics, which are otherwise in a trade-off relationship, an anode for a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery as well as a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery employing the same. The hydrogen storage alloy has a particular composition represented by formula (1), R1-aMgaNibAlcMd, and has at its outermost surface a Mg-rich/Ni-poor region having a composition with a Mg molar ratio higher than that in formula (1) and a Ni molar ratio lower than that in formula (1), and has inside a Mg/Ni-containing region having a composition with a Mg molar ratio lower than and a Ni molar ratio higher than those in the Mg-rich/Ni-poor region.

Abstract: A safe and industrially advantageous production method is disclosed for producing a rare earth-Mg—Ni based hydrogen storage alloy which realizes production of a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery having excellent cycle characteristics and a large capacity. The method is for producing a rare earth-Mg—Ni based hydrogen storage alloy including element A, Mg, and element B, wherein element A is composed of at least one element R selected from rare earth elements including Sc and Y, and optionally at least one element selected from Zr, Hf, and Ca, and element B is composed of Ni and optionally at least one element selected from elements other than element A and Mg. The method includes first step of mixing an alloy consisting of elements A and B and Mg metal and/or a Mg-containing alloy having a melting point not higher than the melting point of Mg metal, and second step of heat-treating a mixture obtained from first step for 0.5 to 240 hours at a temperature 5 to 250° C.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic refrigeration material which has a Curie temperature of not lower than 250 K, and provides refrigeration performance well over that of conventional materials when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla, which is assumed to be achievable with a permanent magnet. The magnetic refrigeration material is of a composition represented by the formula La1 fREf (Fe1 a b c d eSiaCobXcYdZe)13 (RE: at least one of rare earth elements including Sc and Y and excluding La; X: Ga and/or Al; Y: at least one of Ge, Sn, B, and C; Z: at least one of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Zr; 0.03?a?0.17, 0.003?b?0.06, 0.02?c?0.10, 0?d?0.04, 0?e?0.04, 0?f?0.50), and has an average crystal grain size of not smaller than 0.01 ?m and not larger than 3 ?m, a Curie temperature of not lower than 250 K, and the maximum (??Smax) of magnetic entropy change (??SM) when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla is not less than 5 J/kgK.

Abstract: Provided is a magnetic refrigeration material which has a Curie temperature near room temperature or higher, and provides refrigeration performance well over that of conventional materials when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla, which is assumed to be achievable with a permanent magnet. The magnetic refrigeration material is of a composition represented by the formula La1-fREf(Fe1-a-b-c-d-eSiaCObXcYdZe)13 (RE: at least one of rare earth elements including Sc and Y and excluding La; X: Ga and/or Al; Y: at least one of Ge, Sn, B, and C; Z: at least one of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Zr; 0.03?a?0.17, 0.003?b?0.06, 0.02?c?0.10, 0?d?0.04, 0?e?0.04, 0?f?0.50), and has Tc of not lower than 220 K and not higher than 276 K, and the maximum (??Smax) of magnetic entropy change (??SM) of the material when subjected to a field change up to 2 Tesla is not less than 5 J/kgK.

Abstract: Provided are hydrogen storage alloy powder capable of providing a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery with simultaneous excellence in initial activity, discharge capacity, and cycle characteristics, which are otherwise in a trade-off relationship, an anode for a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery as well as a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery employing the same. The hydrogen storage alloy has a particular composition represented by formula (1), R1-aMgaNibAlcMd, and has at its outermost surface a Mg-rich/Ni-poor region having a composition with a Mg molar ratio higher than that in formula (1) and a Ni molar ratio lower than that in formula (1), and has inside a Mg/Ni-containing region having a composition with a Mg molar ratio lower than and a Ni molar ratio higher than those in the Mg-rich/Ni-poor region.

Abstract: A safe and industrially advantageous production method is disclosed for producing a rare earth-Mg—Ni based hydrogen storage alloy which realizes production of a nickel-hydrogen rechargeable battery having excellent cycle characteristics and a large capacity. The method is for producing a rare earth-Mg—Ni based hydrogen storage alloy including element A, Mg, and element B, wherein element A is composed of at least one element R selected from rare earth elements including Sc and Y, and optionally at least one element selected from Zr, Hf, and Ca, and element B is composed of Ni and optionally at least one element selected from elements other than element A and Mg. The method includes first step of mixing an alloy consisting of elements A and B and Mg metal and/or a Mg-containing alloy having a melting point not higher than the melting point of Mg metal, and second step of heat-treating a mixture obtained from first step for 0.5 to 240 hours at a temperature 5 to 250° C.

Abstract: The present invention aims at providing an ascending transmission speed controlling method and a communication system in an ATM-PON (asynchronous transfer mode-passive optical network), in which ascending transmission speeds on the PON are dynamically allocated corresponding to actual transmission states of communication channels of a best effort type, to thereby effectively utilize respective bands.

Abstract: By transmitting an analog CATV signal output from a CATV-HE (CAble TeleVision-Head End) to an HDT (Host Digital Terminal), an analog transmission channel for transmitting the analog CATV signal to an ONU (Optical Network Unit) is included in a path housing a digital transmission channel for transmitting a digital service signal for individual distribution service to the ONU. Furthermore, a digital service signal for multicast service is modulated and converted into an analog service signal by a modulator in the HDT. Then, the converted signal is mixed with the analog CATV signal, and transmitted to the ONU. Accordingly, each of the ONUs is equipped with only a built-in modulator for modulating the digital service signal for individual distribution service.

Abstract: A Bifidobacterium bifidum proliferation promoting composition comprising a xylooligosaccharide which contains xylobiose as its principal component is disclosed. The xylooligosaccharide is obtained by enzymatically or physicochemically treating either xylan or hemicellulose derived from a natural source. Bifidobacterium bifidum which is useful for man is encouraged to proliferate in the intestines by the xylooligosaccharide which is not readily assimilated by Escherichia coli but is readily utilized by Bifidobacterium bifidum. The xylooligosaccharide is advantageously stable when exposed to acids or heat.

Abstract: A media information distribution service system, such as a video-on-demand service system, is disclosed which, even if the capacity of a line is small and the number of lines connected to a media server, such as a video server, has to be increased accordingly, permits an uneconomical increase in the number of line circuits in the media server to be checked. In the system, a subscriber group that a distributor accommodates can be associated with a plurality of distributor-side paths on a distributor-side line. Each of the distributor-side paths is connected to a respective one of server-side paths on separate server-side lines connecting the media server and an exchange. In sending media information to a subscriber group, an in-server path control unit installed in the media server is permitted to select a free one out of server-side paths on server-side lines allocated for that subscriber group and activates a line interface corresponding to the free server-side path.

Abstract: A broadband integrated services digital network includes a network, first and second terminals, and first and second terminal adapters. Each of the first and second terminal adapters includes a buffer storing a predetermined number of bursts of data from either the first or second terminal and storing a predetermined number of bursts of data from the network, and a first part for sending ready notification information to the network and for receiving the ready notification information from the network. The ready notification information shows that the buffer has an available storage capacity equal to at least one burst. Each of the first and second terminal adapters further includes a second part for sending ready information to the corresponding one of the first and second terminals before the first part receives the ready notification information from the network. At least, one burst is written into the buffer each time the ready information is sent.

Abstract: A method of producing a steel sheet coated with a fluororesin film by heat-fusing the fluororesin film onto a surface of the steel sheet, comprising heating the surface of the steel sheet to a temperature higher by 30-120 degrees C. than a melting point of the fluororesin of the fluororesin film, and contact bonding the fluororesin film onto the steel sheet surface between a pair of rolls, while a surface of a roll facing the fluororesin film, in the pair of rolls, is heated to a temperature lower by 100-210 degrees C. than the melting point of the fluororesin of the fluororesin film.

Abstract: A packet data is formed of a plurality of ATM cells. When cells of the packet data are lost, especially if the packet data is an image or picture signal including synchronous signals, it becomes difficult to reproduce the image or picture on a receiving terminal. A data length compensating device compensates the lost cell. In order to deal with the lost cells lying over between two packets, a data length compensating device includes a lost cell detecting circuit which detects a lost cell to be included in the data according to the sequence number of the plurality of cells, compensation control circuit which outputs compensation information including the number of lost cells to be compensated, and inserting circuit inserts dummy data corresponding to the lost cells to be compensated based on the compensation information.

Abstract: A broadband integrated services digital network includes a network, first and second terminals, and first and second terminal adapters. Each of the first and second terminal adapters includes a buffer having a capacity for storing a predetermined number of bursts of data, as received thereby from the respective first and second terminals, and for storing a predetermined number of bursts of data, as received thereby from the network, and a first part for sending ready notification information to the network and for receiving the ready notification information from the network. The ready notification information shows that the buffer has an available storage capacity equal to at least one burst. Each of the first and second terminal adapters further includes a second part for sending ready information to the corresponding one of the first and second terminals before the first part receives the ready notification information from the network.

Abstract: A logical channel setting system is applied to an asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) network which is coupled to terminal equipments which are in conformance with a high performance parallel interface (HIPPI) via respective terminal adapters which are in conformance with the HIPPI. The logical channel setting system includes a call part, provided in a transmitting terminal adapter, for setting a logical channel in the ATM network in response to a request signal which is ON and is received from a transmitting terminal equipment which is coupled to the transmitting terminal adapter, and a disconnect part, provided in the transmitting terminal adapter, for releasing the logical channel which is previously set in the ATM network in response to a request signal which is OFF and is received from the transmitting terminal equipment which is coupled to the transmitting terminal adapter.

Abstract: The present invention relates to the production of a cold rolled steel sheet having good ageing resistance and small anisotropy and adapted for deep drawing, which properties can satisfy concurrently the demands for the deep drawability and ageing resistance of the cold rolled steel sheet to be pressed and used for automotive exterior plate. The present invention has concurrently and satisfactorily solved the problems in the above described good ageing resistance and anisotropy, which problems had not hitherto been solved in the conventional method, by a method wherein a cold rolled steel sheet having such a limited composition that contains not more than 0.004% of C, 0.002-0.010% of a total amount of at least one element selected from Nb, Ti, V, Zr and W, and further occasionally contains not more than 0.0050% of B, is subjected to a continuous annealing at a temperature within the range of 700-950.degree. C. in the production of the cold rolled steel sheet according to the conventional method.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing formable as-rolled thin steel sheets having excellent ridging resistance and other properties is disclosed, which comprises rolling a low carbon steel to a given thickness without cold rolling and recrystallization annealing steps. In this rolling, at least one rolling pass is carried out within a given temperature range at high draft and high strain rate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method of manufacturing a high-strength steel sheet by annealing the steel sheet after cold rolling. In order to obtain the low-yield ratio, high-strength steel sheet having high strength and good ductility, resistance to secondary cold-work embrittlement and spot weldability at low cost, the steel sheet containing 0.03-0.15% of P and specified amounts of C, Mn and Al as basic components and optionally containing, as a selective component, at least one element selected from a group of Si, Cr, Mo and B and a group of Nb, Ti, and V in such amounts as to meet the relation formula restricting the total content of Mn, Si, P, Cr and Mo is subjected to annealing under the conditions that the sheet is heated at a temperature of from Ac.sub.1 transformation point to 950.degree. C. for from 10 seconds to 10 minutes and cooled in such a control manner that an average cooling rate between 600.degree. C. and 300.degree. C.