Abstract: A thermal transfer recording sheet having a high resistance to denting due to the nipping pressure and/or thermal printing pressure has a substrate sheet including a core sheet and polyester films laminated on the two surfaces of the core sheet and an image receiving layer formed on a surface of the substrate sheet and containing a dyeable polymeric material, and exhibits a compression modulus of 50 MPa or less.

Abstract: A semiconductor device includes both a logic circuit and a macro circuit. The macro circuit includes a circuit that consumes direct current (DC). In order to conserve power and allow for testing, the consumption of DC by the current consumption circuit can be stopped with a stop signal, which stops the operation of the macro circuit. The macro circuit can be restarted or returned to normal operation mode without risk of error caused by the stopping of the macro circuit.

Abstract: A target air-fuel ratio KCMD for an exhaust gas upstream of a catalytic converter is sequentially determined to converge the output VO2/OUT of an O2 sensor downstream of the catalytic converter to a target value VO2/TARGET, and the amount of fuel supplied to an internal combustion engine is controlled to converge the output KACT of an air-fuel ratio sensor to the target air-fuel ratio KCMD. While the amount of fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine is being thus controlled, the value of a deterioration linear function &sgr; whose variable components are represented by time-series data of the output VO2/OUT of the O2 sensor is determined. A central value of the square &sgr;2 of the value of the deterioration linear function &sgr; is determined as a deterioration evaluating parameter. A deteriorated state of the catalytic converter is evaluated on the basis of the value of the deterioration evaluating parameter.

Abstract: An exhaust gas purifying apparatus for an internal-combustion engine, including a three-way catalyst, nitrogen oxide purifier that is disposed downstream of the three-way catalyst, an upstream oxygen sensor that is disposed between the three-way catalyst and the nitrogen oxide purifier, and a downstream oxygen sensor that is disposed downstream of the nitrogen oxide purifier. An abnormality determination criterion is set in accordance with the exhaust gas amount of the internal-combustion engine wherein the criterion is equivalent to a time period until the output of the downstream oxygen density sensor is read since the output of the upstream oxygen density sensor is changed to rich after the air-fuel ratio of the exhaust gas was over from lean to rich. Any abnormality of the nitrogen oxide purifier is determined when the output of the downstream oxygen density sensor has been changed to rich before the time period represented by the criterion elapses.

Abstract: A fuel cell system includes a fuel cell in which a first reactant gas and a second reactant gas are supplied to generate electricity. An evaporator evaporates a raw fuel, which combustor exhaust gas discharged from the fuel cell and uses the exhaust gas to evaporate and volatile a raw material for the first reactant gas. A reformer reforms the evaporated and volatilized raw fuel vapor of the raw material by a reforming catalyst to produce the first reactant gas. An air-introducing device introduces the air that is used to be reformed into the evaporator or the reformed in a manner wherein the flow rate of the air is controlled depending upon the output from the fuel cell and upon the temperature of the raw fuel vapor.

Abstract: Base compositions (premix) comprising the following components: A) a perfluoropolyether phosphate; B) a solvent; C) water.

Abstract: A data buffer of a memory controller receives first program data, whose size is smaller than that of a page buffer, from a system, and holds the received data. A data adding circuit of the memory controller adds mask data to the first program data, to generate second program data whose size is equal to that of the page buffer. Since the mask data are not programmed to memory cells, only the first program data, which are supplied from the system, are programmed to pages of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory. Namely, even when the size of the page buffer of the nonvolatile semiconductor memory is large, it is possible to maintain interchangeability with an exiting system only by using the memory controller of the present invention.

Abstract: A head drive device for positioning a read and/or write head for reading and/or writing information to and from a disk coated with a recording medium, the head drive device including a carriage, a main actuator for moving the carriage, a plurality of heads for reading and/or writing information to and from the disk, and a vibration control portion comprising a plurality of micro-actuators positioned between the carriage and the heads, such that when the main actuator and a first micro-actuator are driven to enable precise positioning of a desired head with respect to a surface of the disk a second micro-actuator is driven so as to offset vibrations generated at the carriage by the operation of the desired micro-actuator.

Abstract: Aqueous dispersions of fluoropolymers containing as stabilizer from 1 to 30% by weight with respect to the fluoropolymer, of a non ionic surfactant having the following structure: CH3(CH2)nO(C3H6O)p(CH2CH2O)mH   (I) wherein: n is in the range 8-20, preferably 12-15; m is in the range 5-20, preferably 7-12; p is in the range 1-8, preferably it is 1 or 2.

Abstract: The current generating unit in the transmitter generates output currents in accordance with a plurality of logic values. The reference current generating unit in the receiver generates a plurality of reference currents. The current comparing units in the receiver respectively compares reference currents with output current from the transmitter and restores the logic values. That is, the current is varied in correspondence with the logic values that are transmitted from the transmitter to the receiver, wherein the logic values are restored in the receiver according to a difference in the current value. Forming a plurality of current comparing units in the receiver makes it possible to easily compare the values of the output current from the transmitter and a plurality of reference currents. Therefore, the number of multi-valued bits can be easily increased so as to construct a high bit-rate multi-valued input/output interface.

Abstract: A DC—DC converter in which no operational instability occurs and ranges of input and output voltages are wide, an electric appliance using such DC—DC converter, and a duty-ratio setting circuit in which no operational instability occurs and ranges of input and output voltages of a converter circuit can be widen in controlling the converter circuit are provided. A DC—DC converter 10 has a converter circuit 110, an output voltage detection circuit 120 and a duty-ratio setting circuit 20. An error amplifier circuit 21 compares Vref1 with Vd to output a control voltage Vfb. A pulse-width modulator circuit 25 compares a triangular-wave voltage Vct with the control voltage Vfb to output a first pulse signal PWO. A second-pulse generator circuit 26 outputs a second pulse signal PSO having a predetermined on-duty ratio.

Abstract: A protective circuit device (3) according to the present invention prevents overcharge to a storage battery (2). Protective circuit device (3) has a circuit board body (32) with a prescribed circuit pattern, and island portions (33, 34) having on their surfaces a plurality of external terminals (30) and connected to circuit board body (32) through a metal piece (35, 36). Island portions (33, 34) preferably includes first and second islands. First island (33) preferably has an external terminal (30) and is parallel to circuit board body (32). Second island (34) is preferably arranged between first island (33) and circuit board body (32) and is vertical to circuit board body (32).

Abstract: There is provided a control system for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of properly controlling the amount of exhaust gas recirculation according to a degree of flow rate degradation of an exhaust gas recirculation system and at the same time suppressing progress of the flow rate degradation. The control system has an exhaust gas recirculation system including an exhaust gas recirculation passage for communicating between an exhaust passage and an intake passage, and an exhaust gas recirculation valve for controlling the rate of exhaust gas recirculation to the intake passage via the exhaust gas recirculation passage according to the operation amount of the valve. An ECU cuts off supply of fuel to the engine during deceleration of the engine. An intake pipe absolute pressure sensor detects pressure within the intake passage.

Abstract: A process for obtaining (nitroxymethyl)phenyl esters of salicylic acid derivatives of formula (I) wherein R1 is the OCOR3 group characterized in that it comprises the following steps: a) reaction of a halide of a salicylic acid derivative with hydroxybenzylacohol in the presence of a base: b) nutration of the obtained product in anhydrous conditions by a mixture of nitric acid with a different inorganic acid, or an organic acid, or an anhydride of one or two organic acids: c) recovery of the final product.

Abstract: A reverse input blocking clutch comprises, as main elements, an input member, an output member, a stationary member for constraining the revolutions, locking device, lock release device and torque transmission device. By forming the input member, the output member, the stationary member and a fixed side plate from metal plates such as press worked steel plates, a compact, lightweight and low cost reverse input blocking clutch is provided. Reverse input torque from the output member is locked in both the forward and reverse rotational directions relative to the stationary member, by rollers which function as the locking device. Input torque from the input member in both the forward and reverse rotational directions is transmitted to the output member via apertures 1d and protrusions which function as the torque transmission device.

Abstract: A transmission comprises an engine, which is controllable to stop under a predetermined condition, and a speed change mechanism TM, which transmits the output rotation of the engine at different speed ratios. The speed change mechanism TM has a plurality of transmission paths (the LOW ratio, the SECOND speed ratio, etc.) disposed in parallel, a plurality of ratio-setting clutches (the LOW clutch 11, the SECOND speed clutch 12, etc.), each clutch for selecting a predetermined transmission path, and a speed change control system for selectively supplying a hydraulic pressure to any of the ratio-setting clutches to bring it into engagement. Engagement-initiation time is calculated for each ratio-setting clutch, so that the ratio-setting clutch requiring a minimum engagement-initiation time is selected as the clutch for the start-up speed ratio. When the engine is restarted from stopped state, this clutch for the start-up speed ratio is supplied with oil.

Abstract: A process for lowering toxic substance including nicotine in tobacco is disclosed. The process of the present invention comprises treating tobacco leaves with water, alcoholic drink, or a mixture thereof. It is also possible to lower the nicotine contents of tobacco by using licorice vinegar. Loess water, licorice, black beans, other vinegar than licorice vinegar, or salt can be added or as a mixture thereof in order to maintain the unique flavor and taste of tobacco.