Abstract: A microorganism is utilized to fermentatively produce useful substances such as amino acids by cultivating the microorganism in a medium to allow a fermentative product to be produced and accumulated in the medium, and collecting the fermentative product, wherein the microorganism to be used is modified by introduction of at least one of a gene coding for a heat shock protein and a gene coding for a &sgr; factor which specifically functions for the heat shock protein gene to enhance expression amount of the heat shock protein in cells, whereby the microorganism is allowed to have added resistance to stress which would otherwise restrain growth of the microorganism and/or production of the fermentative product.

Abstract: An automatic balancing apparatus which includes a support shaft which is rotated by a drive; a case body which is fixed to the support shaft and which rotates together with the support shaft; a ring magnet which is placed at the inside corner, in the radial direction, of an inner space of the case body; and a balancing member. The balancing member further includes a plurality of magnetic bodies which are movable in the inner space of the case body and which can be drawn up by the magnetic field of the ring magnet. When the rotational frequency of a rotor, which rotates together with the case body, exceeds the resonant frequency, the automatic balancing apparatus reduces vibrations of the rotor; and the outer circumference of the ring magnet has a flat portion.

Abstract: A cylindrical case provided with a chamber is coaxially attached to a rotary shaft of a motor. A plurality of balancers are movably provided within the chamber so as to cancel a rotation eccentricity of the motor. A viscous member such as high viscosity fluid is provided on at least one of surfaces of the balancers and an inner face of the chamber.

Abstract: A microorganism is utilized to fermentatively produce useful substances such as amino acids by cultivating the microorganism in a medium to allow a fermentative product to be produced and accumulated in the medium, and collecting the fermentative product, wherein the microorganism to be used is modified by introduction of at least one of a gene coding for a heat shock protein and a gene coding for a .sigma. factor which specifically functions for the heat shock protein gene to enhance expression amount of the heat shock protein in cells, whereby the microorganism is allowed to have added resistance to stress which would otherwise restrain growth of the microorganism and/or production of the fermentative product.

Abstract: In the method of manufacturing a disazo pigment according to the present invention, a superior coupling reaction rate during the coupling reaction process makes it possible to manufacture a disazo pigment having superior transparency, brightness, color strength and gloss for the case in which a color strength agent is used. In this method, a coupling reaction is carried out while continuously feeding a coupler aqueous solution comprising a coupler component having the general formula (I) shown below and a tetrazo aqueous solution comprising a benzidine derivative tetrazo component at a molar ratio of 2:0.8.about.0.99 into an acidic aqueous solution held in a batch type mixing vessel. ##STR1## (where each of X, Y, Z independently represents H, CH.sub.3, OCH.sub.

Abstract: A DNA encoding aspartokinase III derived from bacteria of the genus Escherichia and having mutation by which feedback inhibition with L-lysine is released is introduced into cells to form transformant bacteria of the genus Escherichia. These bacteria are incubated in an appropriate culture medium. An L-amino acid is produced and accumulated in the culture, and collected from this culture.

Abstract: L-lysine is produced efficiently by cultivating, in a liquid medium, a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia with decreased or disappeared lysine decarboxylase activity relevant to decomposition of L-lysine, for example, a bacterium belonging to the genus Escherichia with restrained expression of a novel gene coding for lysine decarboxylase and/or a known gene cadA to allow L-lysine to be produced and accumulated in a culture liquid, and collecting it.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for producing a transglutaminase, which comprises incubating Escherichia coli expressing genes encoding a heat shock protein (DnaJ) and a transglutaminase. The transglutaminase is produced in large quantities, at low cost and has the appropriate stereostructure to render the transglutaminase biologically active. The transglutaminase so produced is useful in the food industry.

Abstract: A process for producing 2,5-di(arylamino)-3,6-dihydroterephthalic acid dialkyl ester having a high purity from 1,4-cyclohexanedione-2,5-di(carboxylic acid alkyl ester) at high yields for a short period of time; a process for producing quinacridone of which the byproduct content is small, from the above 2,5-di(arylamino)-3,6-dihydroterephthalic acid dialkyl ester; and a process for producing quinacridone of which the particle diameter is adjusted as desired, from the above 2,5-di(arylamino)-3,6-dihydroterephthalic acid dialkyl ester without adding a step of forming a pigment.

Abstract: A process for producing 2,5-di(arylamino)-3,6-dihydroterephthalic acid dialkyl ester having a high purity from 1,4-cyclohexanedione-2,5-di(carboxylic acid alkyl ester) at high yields for a short period of time; a process for producing quinacridone of which the byproduct content is small, from the above 2,5-di(arylamino)-3,6-dihydroterephthalic acid dialkyl ester; and a process for producing quinacridone of which the particle diameter is adjusted as desired, from the above 2,5-di(arylamino)-3,6-dihydroterephthalic acid dialkyl ester without adding a step of forming a pigment.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mutant and discloses a process for producing L-glutamic acid by fermentation using a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia. The L-glutamic acid is produced and accumulated in a culture medium by culturing a mutant designated as FERM P-12379 which is derived from Escherichia coli K-12 strain and the mutant is deficient or low in .alpha.-ketoglutaric acid dehydrogenase activity, has low L-glutamic acid decomposing ability, and is capable of producing L-glutamic acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a mutant and a process for producing L-glutamic acid by fermentation using a microorganism belonging to the genus Escherichia. In the present process, L-glutamic acid is produced and accumulated in a culture medium by (A) culturing an Escherichia mutant which is deficient or low in .alpha.-ketoglutaric acid dehydrogenase activity, has low L-glutamic acid decomposing ability, and is capable of producing L-glutamic acid.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device by which the intensity distribution of an image of an object to be photographed is detected by a detecting section having an accumulation mode image sensor with a charge accumulation time in dependence upon the brightness of the object and develop a video signal corresponding to the intensity distribution. A signal processing circuit processes the video signal to determine whether the optical system of the photographing apparatus with which the focusing device is associated is focused or out of focus and when an out-of-focus condition is detected a drive direction signal is developed and applied to a drive to move the lens in a proper direction toward a focusing position.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device having a signal processing circuit for providing a focusing signal and a defocusing signal, or drive direction signal, to move the photographing lens to a focusing position the device is provided with a hunting preventing circuit in which, even if the drive direction signal is developed after it has been determined that the lens is focused on the object, the drive direction signal is made ineffective for a period of time which is shorter when the object brightness is high and longer where the brightness is low, whereby the hunting phenomenon with the lens which is liable to occur with a low brightness is positively prevented.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device in which the intensity distributions of the images of an object which are formed by light beams passing through different portions of an optical system in a photographing device are detected as video signals. A correlation output is obtained from the video signals so that the focusing condition is detected from the peak position of the correlation output. When the peak position is not one for focalization, a drive direction signal is delivered to drive the optical system towards the focusing position. A low contrast detecting circuit is provided in which is counted how many times the correlation output becomes higher than a predetermined level in one focusing condition detecting operation, and when the count value reaches a predetermined value, the drive direction signal is made ineffected, so as to prevent the occurrence of a hunting phenomenon with the optical system.

Abstract: An automatic focusing device comprises a detector for detecting distributions of the images of an object which are formed by two light beams passing through two different points in a photographing optical system and for providing corresponding video signals. The video signals are processed to obtain an output signal representative of a relative positional relation between the video signals for use in establishing the optical system moving direction and the distance of movement of the focusing position, or to determine only the direction of movement of the optical system so that the optical system is moved in the direction thus determined to the focusing position. The automatic focusing operation can be accomplished without using movable members other than the photographing lens of the optical system, or in the case of using a movable member, the focusing operation can be achieved with high accuracy by operating the movable member only once.