Abstract: A method for producing acrylic acid by absorbing acrylic acid at a high ratio and obtaining an acrylic acid-containing solution of high concentration is provided. This method comprises a step of circulating part of a discharged gas from an absorption step of acrylic acid to the reactor and discarding the remainder to the out side of system while the gas is cooled before circulation to the reactor. By the method, the acrylic acid-containing solution of high concentration is obtained due to decrease of an acrylic acid loss.

Abstract: The present invention relates to stretchable interconnects which can be made in various geometric configurations, depending on the intended application. The stretchable interconnects can be formed of an electrically conducting film or an elastomer material to provide elastic properties in which the interconnects can be reversibly stretched in order to stretch and relax the elastomer material to its original configuration. Alternatively, stretchable interconnects can be formed of an electrically conducting film or a plastic material to provide stretching of the material to a stretched position and retaining the stretched configuration. The stretchable interconnect can be formed of a flat 2-dimensional conductive film covering an elastomeric or plastic substrate. When this structure is stretched in one or two dimensions, it retains electrical conduction in both dimensions.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for monitoring tray activity in which a tray sensing device detects the presence of a tray in a given location. The tray can be a conventional tray for supporting food articles or can be supported or integral with a food cart. Information from the tray sensing device can be forwarded to a central information system. The central information system can display the information or activate an alarm. The alarm can be an audio or visual alert. The alarm can be deactivated upon removal of the tray from the given location or upon dispatching of personnel to the given location.

Abstract: The process comprises reacting a compound of formula (II), where R is a hydroxyl protecting group, and the asterisk indicates an asymmetric carbon atom, with diisopropylamine in the presence of a reducing agent; optionally converting the resulting intermediate into a salt and, if so desired, isolating it; removing the hydroxyl protecting group; and if so desired, separating the desired (R) or (S) enantiomer, or the mixture of enantiomers and/or converting the obtained compound into a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof. Tolterodine is a muscarinic receptor antagonist useful in treating urinary incontinence and other symptoms of urinary bladder hyperactivity.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method and system for monitoring room activity. A tray sensing device detects the presence of a tray in a given location and forwards the information to a tray controller. The tray can be a conventional tray for supporting food articles or can be supported or integral with a food cart. The system also includes monitoring door lock and door tag information. Information from the tray sensing device, door lock/tag controller and is received at a room controller. The room controller of each room can include a wireless network to the tray controller, door lock/tag controller. The room controller can also monitor information of the room such as, for example, temperature information and light intensity information, and receive information regarding room activities, such as, for example, room service ordering, housekeeping minibar and checkout routine. Information from the room controller can be forwarded to a central information system.

Abstract: Non-leguminous crops, e.g. wheat, maize and rice, do not form nodules and are dependant for their nutrition on fixed nitrogen from the soil, or from chemical/nitrogenous fertilizers. The present invention provides non-leguminous plants and leguminous plants, including legumes that fail to nodulate with Rhizobia, with bacteria that enable them to fix nitrogen endophytically. Therefore, the plants contain nitrogen fixing bacteria the bacteria being located intacellularly in living plant cells.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method and conversion kits, that include all necessary components, to convert any style existing prior art fume hood into a stable vortex high performance low airflow fume hood that can accommodate varying size prior art fume hoods without altering the fume hood envelope or customizing the conversion kit. The articulating rear baffle can be lifted out for cleaning debris that collects in baffle conduit. The conversion can be accomplished without drilling mounting holes into an asbestos liner and can be applied on any size or style prior art fume hood. The present invention also provides a new fume hood incorporating the features of the method and kit.

Abstract: A method for quickly starting up a reactor and a reactor system therefor are provided. A shell-and-tube reactor in the system is adapted to circulate a heat medium having a solid point in the range of 50-250° C. to the outside of the reaction tubes and characterized by initiating temperature elevation of the reactor by introducing a gas of a temperature in the range of 100-400° C. to the reaction tubes' side and then circulating the heat medium in a heated state to the outside of the reaction tubes. By introducing a gas of an elevated temperature preparatorily to the reaction tubes, it is made possible to prevent the heat medium after circulation from being solidified again and enable the reactor to be quickly started up.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an efficient procedure for the synthesis of deserpidine (Ia), starting from reserpic acid lactone (II) via the intermediate 11-O-demethyl reserpic acid lactone (III).

Abstract: The present invention relates to a shuffler device including a tub for receiving one or more game pieces. The game pieces can be, for example, revealer devices, cards, and dice or Mah Jongg tiles. The bottom of the tub includes a plurality of raised portions. Alternatively, the bottom of the tub can include a plurality of ball bearings. The tub is rotated and one or more game pieces can be removed from the tub. In an alternate embodiment, a slidable door is formed in the tub for receiving the revealer device or game pieces. The slidable door can be attached to a covered chute. In one embodiment, two connected tubs are used to each receive a set of revealer devices or game pieces.

Abstract: An ameliorating agent for cancer chemotherapy is disclosed, which comprises a chromanol glycoside represented by the following general formula (1) (wherein R1, R2, R3, and R4, which are identical or different from each other, stand for a hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, R5 stands for a hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, or a lower acyl group, X stands for a monosaccharide residue or an oligosaccharide residue optionally having the hydrogen atom of the hydroxyl group in the saccharide residue substituted with a lower alkyl group or a lower acyl group, n is an integer in the range of 0-6, and m is an integer in the range of 1-6). According to this invention, a novel ameliorating agent for cancer chemotherapy is provided which acts safely and effectively in a small dosage to enhance the carcinostatic action of an anti-cancer agent in cancer chemotherapy and repressing side effects by cancer chemotherapy as well.

Abstract: A magnetic memory 1 having a wire 5 extended in a direction of arbitrary decision, an electro-resistivity effect element 4 disposed adjacently to the wire 5, and a counterelement side yoke 20B disposed adjacently on the side opposite the magneto-resistivity effect element 4 in the wire 5 and having the thickness of the counterelement side yoke 20B so set as to be larger than 50 nm and smaller than 150 nm. Owing to conformity with this invention, this magnetic memory is enabled to homogenize the magnetization property during the course of writing operation and perform the writing work with a low electric current.

Abstract: A method of prevention or treatment of a cholesterol-associated tumor is provided which comprises administering a therapeutically effective amount of an azetidinone-based cholesterol absorption inhibitor, preferably ezetimibe (SCH 58235) and/or its phenolic glucuronide, or at least one ezetimibe analog, e.g., SCH 48461 and SCH 58053, to a patient wherein the patient is either at risk of developing a cholesterol-associated tumor or already exhibits a cholesterol-associated tumor. Formulations of ezetimibe are also provided for the prevention or treatment of a cholesterol-associated tumor further comprising at least one other anticancer agent.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method and system in which multi-coherent resonances of a microwave in which the alkali-metal atoms in the ground state are driven simultaneously by a microwave hyperfine frequency ?H and a Zeeman frequency ?Z. The driving influences on the atom can include magnetic fields or by optically pumping light modulated by a Zeeman frequency ?Z or a microwave hyperfine frequency ?H or by combinations of their harmonics or subharmonics. Multi-coherent resonances permit simultaneous measurement or control of the ambient magnetic field and measurement or control of a hyperfine resonance frequency of alkali-metal atoms. In one embodiment, the hyperfine frequency for a controlled magnetic field can serve as an atomic clock frequency.

Abstract: A multi-quantum well optical waveguide structure comprises a plurality of active regions including quantum wells with different gain peak wavelengths to provide an ultra broadband optical gain spectrum. Two adjacent sets of active regions having a large band gap difference are connected by a tunneling injection layer to provide smooth electron transport. Single transverse-mode operation is obtained by narrowly tapering the width of the multi-quantum well optical waveguide from the center to the two ends. Higher-order modes are suppressed at the output of the tapered waveguide, even though the center waveguide portion supports higher-order modes. In this way, the multi-quantum well optical waveguide can be utilized for ultra broadband optical amplification using a single mode fiber.

Abstract: A vessel hull transducer modular mounting system enables transducers to be replaced and upgraded without necessitating the further modification of the hull and thus not necessitating the dry-docking of the vessel. A further feature includes the ability to reduce and dampen acoustic shock impact on the transducer. Another feature includes the ability to extend and retract the transducer which can operate in bottom scan, forward looking, side scan, searchlight, and sweep modes.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of playing a game in which a guess is made of a number value of a remainder. A total point value is determined from game pieces given to a player. A number value of a remainder is determined by dividing the total point value by a predetermined divisor. The number value of the remainder is compared to the guessed number value of the remainder. If the number value of the remainder is the same as the guessed number value of the remainder, the player wins. In one embodiment, a bonus one or more bets can be placed on guesses of a last remaining remainder value determined upon continuation of the game, guesses of a value or a range of values of the total point value used for obtaining the last remaining remainder value or guesses of a value of a number of subsequent game pieces given to a player before the last remaining remainder value is determined.