Abstract: A staircase hoist for wheelchair users includes a hoist carrier plate having a pair of brackets, two guide rails in slidable engagement with the pair of brackets to maintain the hoist carrier plate in a prescribed attitude, the guide rails being disposed vertically parallel to one another on a staircase wall along an angle of flight of the staircase, a drive motor on the hoist carrier plate, a plurality of arms radiating from a drive shaft rotated by the motor that rotate in opposition to the staircase wall, a tip of each arm having a roller, and a plurality of drive guides disposed between the guide rails at a prescribed distance from the wall that sequentially engage with the rollers on the arms. The drive shaft that rotates the arms is set at an angle to the staircase wall to prevent rollers that have terminated engagement with a drive guide coming into contact with other drive guides while being rotated around into position for the next engagement.

Abstract: A method for thermal diffusivity measurement includes the steps of periodically heating a sample with a heat source modulated at an operating frequency, detecting an ac temperature of the sample at a detection point a predetermined distance apart from a heating point of the sample, the ac temperature being a periodic temperature oscillation, measuring a phase of the detected ac temperature by a phase sensitive detection operation, maintaining the phase constant by controlling the operating frequency of the heat source based on the measured phase to realize a constant-wave-number condition in which both a wave number and a thermal diffusion length are kept constant, and determining the thermal diffusivity of the sample based on the relative change in the operating frequency under the constant-wave-number condition.

Abstract: A field emission device of simple structure enables stabilization and control of field emission current. A three-dimensional emitter formed on a base member incorporates therein a source layer on the side in contact with the base member, a drain layer on the side of the distal end including a tip and a channel region layer between the source layer and the drain layer. A gate is formed near the emitter. A strong electric field generated by applying a voltage to the gate causes cold electrons to be emitted from the emitter tip and the voltage applied to the gate also controls the conductivity of the channel region layer, whereby the field emission current emitted from the tip of the emitter is stabilized and controlled.

Abstract: A method for the production of a high-strength high-toughness silicon nitride sinter includes the steps of mixing a silicon nitride powder with a sintering additive, adding to the resultant mixture as seed particles 0.1 to 10% by volume, based on the amount of the mixture, of elongated single crystal .beta.-silicon nitride particles having a larger minor diameter than the average particle diameter of the silicon nitride powder and having an aspect ratio of at least 2, forming the resultant mixture so as to orient the elongated single crystal .beta.-silicon nitride particles as seed particles in a specific direction, and heating the green body to density it and simultaneously induce epitaxial growth of single crystal .beta.-silicon nitride particles, and a high-strength, high-toughness silicon nitride sinter obtained by the method.

Abstract: A temporal learning neural network includes a plurality of temporal learning neural processing elements and an input/output control section. Each element includes a calculation device and a learning device. The calculation device includes an input memory section and a response calculation circuit. The learning device includes a learning processing circuit and a history evaluation circuit. The calculation circuit calculates a sum of a total summation value of a product of input values and connection efficacies, and an internal potential, compares the sum with a predetermined threshold value, outputs a 1 or 0 signal depending on the comparison and substitutes internal potential of a next time for the sum. The processing circuit receives an input history evaluation value when the calculation circuit has produced an output 1 signal which strengthens, weakens or leaves unchanged the connection efficacies depending on the comparison.

Abstract: Photocatalyst particles consist essentially of a matrix consisting of the crystal phase of a semiconducting metal oxide as a photocatalyst and ferromagnetic metal particles dispersed in the matrix, having an average particle diameter of 15 nm at most and a specific surface area of 100 m.sup.2 /g at least, and permitting recovery by a magnetic force.

Abstract: A method for the production of a composite consisting of cellulose fibers coated with a calcium phosphate compound consists essentially of phosphorylating the surface of cellulose fibers, immersing the surface-phosphorylated cellulose fibers in an aqueous solution containing calcium ions and hydroxyl ions, removing the cellulose fibers from the aqueous solution and subsequently immersing them in an aqueous solution containing calcium ions and phosphoric acid ions, and then removing the cellulose fibers from the aqueous solution. Also disclosed is a composite produced by the method.

Abstract: A partially N-acylated compound of chitooligosaccharide consisting essentially of 2 number of acyl glucosamine constituent units, m number of glucosamine constituent units and n number of acetyl glucosamine constituent units, wherein the ratios of l, m and n to the sum of l, m and n are in the respective ranges of 5 to 80%, 20 to 95%, and 0 to 50%, and having an OH radical attached at the 4 position or 1 position of the terminal unit of the composition.

Abstract: An X-ray lens includes a plurality of hollow cylinders of prescribed radius bored in a lens material piece having a phase lag coefficient appropriate for the wavelength of the X-rays to be focused such that the axes of the hollow cylinders are parallel and perpendicularly intersect a straight array axis.

Abstract: A laser guided discharge machining apparatus includes a vacuum chamber able to accommodate a workpiece and in which it is possible to create a reduced pressure condition of 3000 Pa or below, a discharge electrode accommodated in the vacuum chamber able to discharge charged particles, a laser that emits a laser beam toward the vacuum chamber, a laser guidance apparatus for guiding the laser beam to irradiate a part of the workpiece in the vacuum chamber, and a discharge delay measurement apparatus for detecting a time delay between a time at which laser irradiation is triggered and a time at which discharge takes place from the discharge electrode.

Abstract: A method for the production of a high-strength high-toughness silicon nitride sinter includes the steps of mixing a silicon nitride powder with a sintering additive, adding to the resultant mixture as seed particles 0.1 to 10% by volume, based on the amount of the mixture, of elongated single crystal .beta.-silicon nitride particles having a larger minor diameter than the average particle diameter of the silicon nitride powder and having an aspect ratio of at least 2, forming the resultant mixture so as to orient the elongated single crystal .beta.-silicon nitride particles as seed particles in a specific direction, and heating the green body to density it and simultaneously induce epitaxial growth of single crystal .beta.-silicon nitride particles, and a high-strength, high-toughness silicon nitride sinter obtained by the method.

Abstract: A deodorizing lamp comprises a lamp unit and a titanium oxide film coating the glass surface of the lamp unit and optionally at least one metal selected from among iron, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, silver, copper, zinc, and manganese deposited on the surface of the titanium oxide film. A method for the production of a deodorizing lamp comprises the steps of applying a titania sol or an aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution of titania gel to the glass surface of a lamp unit, drying the applied layer of titania sol or titania gel, firing the dried layer thereby forming a titanium oxide film on the glass surface, and optionally depositing at least one metal from among iron, platinum, rhodium, ruthenium, palladium, silver, copper, zinc, and manganese on the titanium oxide film.

Abstract: Selective separation and recovery of gaseous components of hot waste gas of combustion containing carbon dioxide is attained by causing the hot waste gas to contact an adsorbent containing as a substantial main component thereof an inorganic solid substance exhibiting surface basicity and inducing adsorption of the gaseous components of the hot waste gas on the adsorbent and then selectively separating the adsorbed gaseous components by virtue of differences in retention time among the gaseous components on the adsorbent.

Abstract: A mixed gas consisting of carbon dioxide and nitrogen is separated into the component gases by a method which comprises treating sepiolite with nitric acid, subjecting the treated sepiolite to an ion-exchange treatment thereby exchanging the cationic metal present in the treated sepiolite with Mg ions, heating the sepiolite resulting from the ion-exchange treatment, and exposing the ultimately prepared sepiolite to the mixed gas.

Abstract: An apparatus for the production of three-dimensional fiber-reinforced ceramics, which apparatus contains a foundation open at an upper end thereof and enclosing an empty space and a cylinder disposed on the foundation, the empty space of the foundation and an open space of the cylinder integrally forming a continuous empty space, and the continuous empty space having an empty region at a lowermost portion thereof having a filter plate set fast therein and having a pressure piston set fast above said filter plate to form between the pressure piston and the filter plate an empty region for accommodating a slurry for the production of the three-dimensional fiber-reinforced ceramics;wherein the filter plate contains a porous sintered metallic plate and a filter paper having holes not more than 0.3 .mu.

Abstract: A high-speed, high-sensitivity photo-receiving device has a light-absorbing substrate, on which a pair of electrodes are provided. An insulative optical guide is located over an exposed surface portion of the substrate constituting an optical window. The optical guide is permeable to incident light, and the width of the optical guide does not exceed the wavelength of the incident light.

Abstract: Separation of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is accomplished by a method using as a separating material one member selected from the group consisting of sepiolite in the unmodified form, sepiolite which has been heat-treated, and sepiolite which has had part or the whole of the exchangeable cation thereof replaced with zinc ion and which has been subsequently subjected to a heat treatment.

Abstract: An optically active (+)-4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(indole-3-)butyric acid is produced by a method which consists essentially of causing 2,2,2-trifluoroethanol to react on a racemic modification 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(indole-3-)butyric acid thereby forming a reaction solution containing the trifluoroethyl ester of the butyric acid, causing an enzyme having an esterase activity to act on the reaction solution thereby forming an optically active (+)-4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(indole-3-)butyric acid, and thereafter separating the reaction product from the reaction solution.

Abstract: A micromanipulator comprises an upper parallel linkage connecting a base member and an opposed middle plate by links, a lower parallel linkage connecting the middle plate and an opposed base plate by links, a first finger attached to the base member of the upper parallel linkage, a second finger attached to the middle plate and is arranged opposite the first finger, drive controllers provided on the links for effecting relative motions of the fingers and for positioning the fingers.

Abstract: Spinel single crystal filaments are produced by a method which consists essentially of solidifying in one direction a melt consisting essentially of 30 to 70% by weight of magnesium oxide, 10 to 45% by weight of aluminum oxide, and 15 to 45% by weight of silicon dioxide, thereby forming a composite texture containing a matrix of forsterite and filaments of spinel dispersed in the matrix, and then separating the filaments of spinel from the composite texture.