Abstract: An apparatus for detecting a condition of burning in an internal combustion engine includes a spark plug and an ignition coil. The ignition coil has a primary winding and a secondary winding. The secondary winding is connected to the spark plug. An ion current sensing resistor is connected to a low voltage side of the secondary winding of the ignition coil for sensing an ion current. A diode is connected in parallel with the primary winding of the ignition coil. A switching element is connected in series with the primary winding of the ignition coil. The switching element is movable into and out of an on state. A suitable device is operative for resisting a current flowing through the diode when the switching element is in the on state.

Abstract: This invention pertains to methods for using oxalate oxidase in plant pathology. A substantially pure gene encoding the oxalate oxidase enzyme is elucidated. The expression product of the gene which can be stably incorporated into a foreign plant host has a unique profile including a pH optimum of 3.5, a positive heat stability, a single sub-unit of approximately 25 kilodaltons and protease stability. The methodology of this invention exploiting oxalate oxidase for protection against oxalic acid encompasses providing to a plant in need of oxalic acid protection an oxalic acid degrading enzyme in an amount sufficient to protect the plant from the oxalic acid.

Abstract: A gas blast nozzle for a furnace for processing molten metal has a prolonged service life and is free from gas leakage. The nozzle comprises a refractory block having a narrow straight bore and a small metal pipe slidably arranged in the straight bore. A gas is blown by the small metal pipe. When the gas blast nozzle is partially worn, the small metal pipe is moved upwardly to project into the furnace and the worn area is filled with a refractory material.

Abstract: A thermoelectric water chiller system for cooling fluids, and including a cold sink which defines quiescent areas where convection currents are minimized to facilitate ice formation around the cold sink is provided. The cold sink cooperates with water held in a sealed tank. A cover member which covers the cold sink can be employed which would cooperate with the tank to form a fluid-tight seal therewith. Components needing periodic cleaning are preferably removable from the system, but the tank could be permanently installed. A fan-cooled thermoelectric module assembly is used to form the ice block adjacent the bottom of the tank which chills the water. A variable-speed fan and current to the thermoelectric module are controlled by a control circuit with inputs from various temperature sensors positioned on and within various portions of the chiller system, including sensors to monitor ambient air temperature about the chiller system.

Abstract: Four sets of shower heads 100, 200, 300, 400 are located in a surface modifying chamber of a surface modifying apparatus, and each shower head 100, 200, 300, 400 has surface modifier piping including a plurality of spray nozzles. The nozzles are arranged such that showers of an aqueous ozone solution injected from every adjacent two nozzles will contact the resin molded product and partly overlap one another. The phases in position of the nozzles can be offset a half-pitch or staggered with the staggered arrangement of the nozzles serving to compensate for any insufficient oxidation reaction to achieve uniform surface modification over the entire surface of the resin molded product 2. Further, the time required for the surface modification treatment can be reduced.

Abstract: A washing machine transmission performs a washing by rotating a pulsator in forward and reverse directions during a washing cycle even though a driving source rotates in any one direction only, so that an overload in the driving source can be prevented. A first link is attached to an upper end of a driving shaft, and has a first guide pin. A second link is hinged to an inner peripheral surface of a brake drum at a first end and has a second guide pin, and has a first oblong slot formed between the first end and the second end. A third link is attached to a driven shaft, and has a second oblong slot. When the driving shaft rotates, the first guide pin rotates.

Abstract: A tobacco smoke filter material comprises a fibrillated cellulose ester fiber with an average fiber diameter of 15 to 250 .mu.m and a BET specific surface area of 0.5 to 4.5 m.sup.2 /g. The fibrous cellulose ester content of the material may for example be not less than 20 weight %. The cellulose ester fiber is provided by, for example, extruding a cellulose ester solution from a nozzle into a precipitating agent for the particular cellulose ester and subjecting the extrudate to a shear force. This filter material can be used in the form of, for example, a filament, web or sheet to provide a tobacco smoke filter which assures good smoking qualities and excellent wet disintegratability.

Abstract: Racemic or optically active threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine can be readily produced via a few short steps by a process involving the steps of reacting a racemic or optically active N-acyl DOPA derivative represented by the formula ?I!: ##STR1## wherein X is a halogen atom; n is 0, 1, 2 or 3; R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 independently represent a protecting group for a hydroxyl group; R.sup.3 is a protecting group for carboxyl group; R.sup.4 is an alkyl group which may have a substituent or a phenyl group which may have a substituent; and a carbon marked with the symbol * is an asymmetric carbon, with a halogen radical generator, a cerium (IV) salt, or a persulfate salt in the presence of a copper catalyst to produce racemic or optically active oxazolines represented by the formula ?IV!: ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, X, n and * are as defined above; and thereafter conducting an oxazoline ring opening and removing R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 and, optionally, removing X when n is 1, 2 or 3.

Abstract: A cradle assembly for a motor vehicle comprises a pair of spaced side frame members, a front cross frame member and a rear cross frame member. The front cross frame member is connected with front ends of the side frame members. The rear cross frame member extends between rear ends of the side frame members. The frame members are formed from tubular metal blanks by a hydroforming process in which each blank has fluid pressure provided internally thereto and thereby radially expanded so that the frame members have a peripheral configuration modified with respect to an original peripheral configuration of the associated blanks.

Abstract: The present invention is related to a composite microporous polyolefin membrane having a high separation, a high flux and a high strength, comprising a microporous layer, b-layer, providing a reinforcing function, the b-layer being stacked on at least one surface of a microporous layer, a-layer, providing a separate function, wherein micropores in a-layer and b-layer are mutually interconnected inside of the layer and also between layers, thereby forming micropores connected from one surface of the membrane to the other surface thereof, and the ratio of the mean distance Da between microfibril bundles of micropores existing in a-layer to the mean distance Db between microfibril bundles of micropores existing in b-layer is in the range of 1.3.ltoreq.Db/Da.ltoreq.15, and furthermore all of the inner and the outer surfaces of the composite membrane and the surface inside of micropores are coated by a thin film of a hydrophilic copolymer.

Abstract: A cam gear driving apparatus of a VCR which can drive a cam gear by a relatively lower starting torque and has spur gears used as a driving gear and a cam gear so that it is easy to adjust tolerance. The cam gear driving apparatus has a driving source for generating power, the driving source having a driving shaft which has a plurality of protrusions at a position adjacent to a distal end, a support for supporting the driving section, the driving section being attached at one end thereof to a base and being connected at an other end thereof with a cam gear shaft, the driving shaft of the driving source extending through the support, a driving gear for rotating a cam gear, the driving gear being rotatably supported by a boss mounted in the base, and a power transfer section for transferring power generated by the driving source from the driving source to the driving gear.

Abstract: A prosthesis in the form of a flexible tube having a substantially uniform cross section is disclosed. The prosthesis comprises a flange (2) for endoscopically placing stitches or clips in a hiatal hernia (3), and a flexible tubular portion (1) enabling the tube to be squeezed by exerting a pressure (F) on the outer surface thereof in order to prevent reflux of the stomach contents into the esophagus. Food can pass freely through the prosthesis in the direction from the esophagus (4) to the stomach (5). The prosthesis is made of a biocompatible polymer optionally containing barium sulphate to make it detectable using X-rays.

Abstract: The present invention provides a purified bacterial protein expressed during infection due to streptococci or enterococci and isolated from human sera, together with immunogenic fragments, analogs, inhibitors, antibodies and antigenic fragments specific thereto. Also provided is a DNA sequence coding for a bacterial protein or an immunogenic fragment or an analogue thereof expressed during infection due to Streptococci or Enterococci, together with homologues thereof, together with vectors, probes and inhibitors therefor. Also provided is fibronectin or an immunogenic fragment thereof or an analogue thereof or an antibody thereto or an anigen binding fragment thereof when used in a method of treatment or diagnosis of the human or animal body for infection due to Streptococci or Enterococci.

Abstract: A mobile communication system is provided in which a base station commands a mobile station (or field monitor) to measure the field strength for a specific channel. The mobile station reports the measured results to the base station. The measured results are used in conjunction with base station identification codes to obtain a single representative value which is used to determine what channels can be selected and used by the system. This enables an existing cellular system to be utilized as a first mobile communication system, and makes it possible to construct a second mobile communication system in the same area as the service area of the first system.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting denaturation of a nucleic acid, including: denaturation condition controlling means for controlling condition of denaturation under which a double-stranded nucleic acid is separated into a first single-stranded nucleic acid and a second single-stranded nucleic acid; excitation light irradiation means for irradiating the double-stranded nucleic acid before denaturation, and the first single-stranded nucleic acid and second single-stranded nucleic acid after the denaturation; fluorescence detection means for detecting fluorescence emission based on the excitation light irradiation; and processing means for receiving, storing and processing a signal supplied from the fluorescence detection means.

Abstract: A high resolution scintillation camera includes a scintillator which generates scintillation light having a light amount proportional to the energy value of incident radiation at the radiation incident position. The generated scintillation light is supplied to several of a plurality of photodetectors forming a detector array. These photodetectors output electrical signals proportional to the supplied light amounts, respectively. The output electrical signals are supplied to a selector to select a photodetector arranged at the radiation incident position and a plurality of photodetectors adjacent to this photodetector. A detection unit detects the radiation incident position on the scintillator on the basis of output signals from a plurality of segments of each photodetector selected by the selector.

Abstract: The present invention relates to certain substituted oxadiazole, thiadiazole and triazole peptoids which are useful as inhibitors of human neutrophil elastase (HNE) for the treatment of HNE-mediated processes implicated in conditions such as adult respiratory distress syndrome, septic shock and multiple organ failure. A series of studies also have indicated the involvement HNE in myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury, emphysema. HNE-mediated processes are implicated in other conditions such as arthritis, periodontal disease, glomerulonephritis, dermatitis, psoriasis, cystic fibrosis, chronic bronchitis, atherosclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, organ transplantation, corneal ulcers, and invasion behavior of malignant tumors.

Abstract: The present invention relates to salts of azelastine having improved solubility in water. The salts of the present invention are prepared by reacting azelastine with acetic acid, gluconic acid, lactic acid or malic acid. A pharmaceutical composition may be prepared containing an azelastine salt and a pharmaceutically-acceptable carrier or diluent therefor. The pharmaceutical composition is useful in the treatment of allergies, asthma, inflammatory and psoriasis disorders and provides a cytoprotective effect.

Abstract: A soft-milling wheat which produces dough having exceptionally low visco-elasticity is provided by breeding from a variety having Glu-D1 double null trait, such as the landrace "Nap Hal". The wheat can be used in the manufacture of biscuits and wafers without the need to treat the flour with agents such as sodium metabisulphite.

Abstract: A disposable cartridge for measuring the physical properties of blood is disclosed. A waste compartment supports a platform having first and second syringe fittings. First and second syringes containing blood samples to be measured are positioned within the fittings. At least one testing station is located on the platform for subjecting blood flowing from one of the syringes to a test station, and the testing station is connected at a second end to the waste compartment. Tests on blood running through each of the blood channels may be conducted by inducing various platelet activation conditions, such as piercing a channel, or putting a platelet activating substance within a test channel. The cartridge interfaces with a test stand which will measure pressure changes within each of the test channels.