Abstract: The invention concerns a zirconia based ceramic article having a core of ZrO2 and/or partially reduced ZrO2, characteriZed in that it includes, over at least part of its surface, a superficial layer integral with said article, the thickness of said superficial layer including a plurality of regions of which one external region is formed of zirconium carbide having a metallic appearance.

Abstract: A compound represented by the formula (I) or (II) or a salt thereof wherein R.sup.1 represents hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 independently represent a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group, or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 may combine together to represent a 5- or 6-membered cycloalkyl group; R.sup.4 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; R.sup.5 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; R.sup.6 represents a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; x represents --NR.sup.7 --, --O--, --CHR.sup.7 -- or --S-- in which R.sup.7 represents, for example, a hydrogen atom or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group; and Y represents a phenylene group or a pyridinediyl group. The compounds are useful as agents for enhancing the activities of retinoid compounds.

Abstract: The invention concerns a driving system for a hybrid-powered motor vehicle. It includes a generator set producing a direct current used by a driving set with an electric motor for driving at least one driving wheel of the vehicle. Using an accelerator, the driver gives a power set-point signal that is used by a first adjusting device which acts on the thermal engine, the generator, and the AC/DC converter of the generator set. A second adjusting device adjusts the power of the driving set as a slave of the generator set, according to the variations in the voltage of the supply circuit with respect to a desired voltage, without considering the signal from the accelerator.

Abstract: A food product comprising a matrix of fibers such as proteinaceous fibers, the matrix having inclusion bodies dispersed therein. The inclusion bodies may be solid, liquid or gases which can be intercalated within or between the fibers so as to weaken and disrupt the integrity of the fibers and tenderize the food products.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for measuring a longitudinal modulus of elasticity of a fiber used for composite material, including a holder for supporting a single fiber at its one end in a cantilever fashion, a heater for heating the single fiber, a measurement device for measuring deflection of the single fiber, and a calculator for calculating a longitudinal modulus of elasticity of the single fiber in accordance with a deflection measured by the measurement device, provided that the single fiber is equivalent to a beam receiving uniformly distributed load thereon based on a dead weight thereof. For instance, the heater includes a closed container having a transparent window through which the deflection of the single fiber is measured The measurement device is a laser displacement gauge or an optical displacement gauge.

Abstract: DNA molecules that code for IL-1 antagonists with improved biological activity arc described. DNA molecules coding for improved IL-1 antagonists inserted into expression vectors and host cells transformed with the said vectors containing the DNA coding for improved IL-1 antagonists and a method for the production of improved IL-1 antagonists in essentially pure form are also described. Preparations that can be injected or can be administered by some other route, consisting of a pharmaceutical preparation of the said mutants, are particularly useful as drugs in the field of therapy.

Abstract: Portable receiver for receiving and displaying radio broadcast messages having a series of characters, the portable receiver including a housing (6) having at least one face (7); a memory (45) for storing messages; a display (2) mounted on or visible through the face, for displaying the stored messages; and at least one control device (4) including a manually actuable member (200), the control device being adapted to enable manipulation of the stored messages by a rotation applied to the manually actuable member. Control device (4) includes a stem (205) rotatably mounted in housing (6) around its longitudinal axis. Manually actuable member (200) includes a dome-shaped portion (5) at least partially emerging from face (7). Stem (205) is fixedly attached to manually actuable member (200) so that dome-shaped portion (5) is rotatable around the longitudinal axis.

Abstract: In known sensors, "failure" conditions led to approximately a 10 fold amplification of the failures. Contrary to this, a rotation-angle sensor of this invention provides a rotation-angle sensor housing (5) held within a component cover (1) to have translatory movement, with a rotation-angle-sensor shaft (3) and a component shaft (6) being coupled via a coupling piece (7). Each shaft end (8, 9) of the coupling piece has flat-edge portions, with one shaft end (9) having many more of flat-edge portions than does the other shaft end (8). The rotation-angle-sensor shaft (3) and the component shaft (6) have complementary recesses for receiving the shaft ends. This rotation-angle sensor is particularly adapted to be used for monitoring brake lining of vehicles.

Abstract: There is provided a method of three-dimensionally cutting a mold including the steps, in sequence, of (a) rotating a single ball end mill at a rate in the range of 50,000 rpm to 200,000 rpm, the ball end mill being made of material having high thermal resistance, (b) driving the ball end mill in horizontal, reciprocating movement at a rate in the range of 10 m/min to 100 m/min, and driving the ball end mill in transverse movement at a predetermined depth of cut in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the ball end mill is reciprocated, at opposite ends of the reciprocating movement to cut a workpiece in a surface thereof at a common depth of cut, and (c) vertically feeding the ball end mill at a predetermined depth of cut. This method makes it possible to significantly increase a rotation speed and a feeding speed of a cutting tool to thereby remarkably reduce time necessary for cutting a mold.

Abstract: A compound represented by the following formula 1: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is an unsubstituted or substituted benzyl group or unsubstituted or substituted phenyl group, method for producing a copolymer comprising copolymerizing a monomer mixture containing the compound, copolymer for lenses containing a copolymerized component represented by the following formula 2 ##STR2## and a lens consisting of the copolymer. The compound of the formula 1 is a reactive dye exhibiting excellent hydrolysis resistance, good copolymerizability with other comonomers, excellent dyeing property and proper solubility in comonomers.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method for deciding dyeing parameters for dyeing lenses in a dye bath consisting of mixed system of three colors, the parameters including dye concentrations and dyeing time, which method comprises deciding the dyeing parameters based on relation of minute color difference of colored lenses represented in a uniform color space coordinate system with minute difference of dye concentration for each color and minute difference of immersion time in the dye bath and a method for producing colored lenses wherein lenses are dyed by using dyeing parameters obtained by said method. The method of the present invention enables easier and more accurate decision of dye concentrations of dye bath and dyeing time for dyeing lenses, in particular, plastic lenses, which are used for obtaining lenses in a target color.

Abstract: A fire extinguishing system has one or more extinguishing units (1) connected together. A heat detector (2) in each extinguishing unit acts as a device for detecting a fire and as a device for triggering an extinguishing process with the aid of a fire extinguishing device (3), which generates a fire extinguishing aerosol spray during the fire. In addition, an electric ignitor (5) and a pyrotechnic electric generator (4) is in each extinguishing unit, and--if several extinguishing units are provided--each pyrotechnic electric generator (4) is connected via wiring (6) to all ignitors (5) in the other extinguishing units. A sensor element of the heat detector (2) consists preferably of a fusible material or of a material with shape memory characteristics. The fire extinguishing system provides a high degree of operational reliability in detecting fires and in extinguishing fires at initial stages, while maintaining favorable characteristics in stand-by operation.

Abstract: Basic vertical and horizontal adjustment of a light beam (9) of a headlight are carried out with respect to a longitudinal axis (5) of the headlight by vertical (6) and horizontal (7) displacement of a lens (4) relative to a light source (2) and a reflector (1).

Abstract: The motor (1) includes three stator parts (11, 12, 13) and two coaxial rotors (2, 3) each including a multipolar magnet having axial magnetization (4, 5) arranged between the third (13) and the first (11) respectively the second stator poles (12). The latter each comprises two stator poles (15, 16, 22, 23) having a plurality of teeth (19, 20, 26, 27) staggered with respect to one another. In the rest positions of the rotors (2, 3) the magnetic dipoles (6) of their magnets (4, 5) are phase-shifted with respect to the respective teeth (19, 20, 26, 27). Two coils (51, 52) are each coupled to a stator pole (15, 22), a third coil (53) is coupled to the other two stator poles (16, 23).As result of this arrangement, the motor (1) is compact and its rotors (2, 3) are able to rotate in both directions independently of each other.

Abstract: A system for controlling the administration of remotely proctored, secure examinations at a remote test station, and a method for administering examinations. The system includes a central station, a registration station and a remote testing station. The central station includes (a) storage device for storing data, including test question data and verified biometric data, and (b) a data processor, operably connected to the storage device, for comparing test taker biometric data with stored, verified biometric data.

Abstract: An organism of the genus Ophiostoma or Ceratocystis, or a material having enzymatic activity derived therefrom, is used as a stereo-specific agent, in a biotransformation reaction, for the production of an enantiomeric acid or alcohol from a mixture of enantiomers of an ester thereof.

Abstract: A self-propelled harvester is provided with apparatus for tracking a crop line and steering the harvester along the crop line without operator assistance. The apparatus includes a video camera for viewing the landscape in front of the harvester and forming an image which may be electronically scanned pixel-by-pixel and line by line to produce a video signal containing information regarding the spectral characteristics of the image at each pixel. A microprocessor is programmed to act as a discriminator and a segmentor. The discriminator produces discriminant signals D(i,j) where i is the magnitude of a discriminant function and j is the relative position of a pixel on a scan line. The segmentor determines a step function which best fits the magnitudes of the discriminant signals for one scan line. The pixel position j.sub.n corresponding to the step of this step function is taken as a vote on the location of the crop line and thus a vote on the direction the harvester should be steered.

Abstract: The cover plate and the housing of a vehicle headlight are connected by at least one catch device and a projecting part that engages behind the catch device, which moves in a spring direction, in a self-locking manner. The catch device has a first slip-interface surface which, when viewed in its spring direction, extends at an acute angle to a direction of assembly at every point along the first slip-interface surface. The projecting part has a second slip-interface surface which, when viewed in the direction of assembly of the cover plate, extends at an acute angle to the spring direction of the catch device at every point along the second slip-interface surface.

Abstract: Compositions for floor polish. Specifically, a composition for floor polish made by the two-step process including the steps of (1) providing water-borne polyurethane resin, preferably having 2-20 acid functional groups per urethane and having an acid value of 15-200 and a molecular weight of 10,000 to 1,000,000, and (2) reacting the polyurethane resin with a calcium compound, not complexed with amines or ammonia, in an amount sufficient to form 0.05 to 0.9 chemical equivalents of calcium crosslinkages relative to the acid functional groups of the polyurethane resin. The invention also includes a floor polish made by a three-step process including the steps of (1) providing an emulsion of a water-borne polyurethane resin as described above, (2) adjusting the pH of the emulsion to a pH value within the range of 4.5 to 9 by adding a base to the emulsion, and (3) reacting the water-borne polyurethane resin with a calcium compound as described above.

Abstract: The use of an extract from Salvia officinalis for producing a medicament for combating Dupuytren's contracture is described, the extract coming in particular from the flowers thereof.