Abstract: A sustained-release granule of sugar comprising a core comprising primarily one or more of a monosaccharide, a disaccharide and a trisaccharide and an outer film comprising 10-90% by weight of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and 90-10% by weight of a wax. This sustained-release granule of sugar may be prepared by coating a core comprising primarily one or more of a monosaccharide, a disaccharide and a trisaccharide with a coating material comprising 10-90% by weight of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and 90-10% by weight of a wax by spraying a solution of the coating material onto the core while tumbling or fluidizing the core. The sustained-release granule of sugar can be applied in an artificial seed comprising an active plant tissue and the sustained-release granule of sugar which are encapsulated in a gel matrix.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for inspecting the sidewalls of bottles are disclosed. The sidewall of a bottle to be inspected is illuminated by a light in a pattern of stripes. At least three near points in an image of lights transmitted through the sidewall which are selected along a scan line are compared in brightness. When the central one of the three points to be noted has a brightness differing from the other near points on both sides of the noted point by more than a set value, the noted point is detected as a defect point. Based on the thus detected defect point, the presence of a defect on the sidewall of the bottle is judged. The method and the apparatus for inspecting the sidewalls of bottles can detect refractive defects as well as light-blocking defects with high precision.

Abstract: An apparatus for cutting open and removing a sheet-like package material from an elongate packaged object such as a stack of can ends includes a device for stretching the package material to form a loop-like slackened portion of the package material extending in a longitudinal direction of the packaged object, a cutter for cutting open the slackened portion, and a moving device for continuously moving the package material in the longitudinal direction of the packaged object. The package material wrapped around the packaged object is stretched to form the slackened portion. While the packaged object and the cutter are being moved relatively to each other, the slackened portion is continuously cut open by the cutter, and the cut-open package material is removed from the packaged object by a removing device.

Abstract: A variable optical axis type bottle inspecting apparatus is disclosed. The bottle inspecting apparatus comprises illuminating means for illuminating a bottle continuously conveyed on rotation, an optical system for forming an image of lights transmitted through the bottle, photoelectric converting means for photoelectrically converting the transmitted light image of the bottle, optical axis changing means for changing the optical axis of the optical system with respect to the photoelectric converting means so that the transmitted light image of the bottle continuously conveyed is formed consecutively on the photoelectric converting means, and inspecting means for inspecting the sidewall of the bottle for defects, based on the transmitted light images photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric converting means.

Abstract: A culture vessel having a main body and a cover for closing the open top of the main body in which the main body and the cover are made of a thin plastic material having light transmission and heat resistance, the main body has a bottom and a low side wall for accommodating a medium, the side wall has a cover engaging portion formed on the upper end thereof, the cover has a top plate and a vertical side wall, the side wall has a main body engaging portion meshable with the main body formed on the lower end thereof, and lenses for observing, at the side wall, the interior of the vessel in a magnified image are provided on the side wall of the cover.

Abstract: A cell culturing apparatus and a cell culturing method are disclosed. A rack supporting apparatus includes a loop tracking and a plurality of culturing racks connected one after another in series. Each of the culturing racks accommodates culturing containers therein for cell culturing during their travel on the loop tracking. Each of the racks is accessible, through conveyors, to a container handling station where culture medium is filled in the culturing containers and cell inoculation is carried out. The culturing containers processed in the container handling station are automatically accommodated into the rack by an infeed station for starting cell culturing, and the culturing containers in which cell culturing have been performed in the rack are automatically discharged therefrom by a discharge station.

Abstract: Disclosed is an anthracycline compound of the formula (I): ##STR1## wherein Ra is -R.sup.1, ##STR2## or --OR.sup.3, R.sup.1 being (1) alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, fluoroalkyl, aryl or aralkyl, or (2) alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl. fluoroalkyl, aryl or aralkyl having carboxyl, azido, amino, hydroxy, alkoxy or a halogen atom; R.sup.2 being R.sup.1, a hydrogen atom or hydroxy; and R.sup.3, which may be the same or different when one substituent has two R.sup.3 's, being R.sup.1 or a hydrogen atom; or the formula (II): ##STR3## wherein Rb is -R.sup.1, ##STR4## or --OR.sup.3, R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 being as defined above; and R.sup.4 being the same as R.sup.3 except that methyl is not included; or an acid addition salt thereof.This compound can be contained as an active ingredient in an antitumor agent, whereby good results are attainable.

Abstract: An apparatus for detecting defects on bottle sidewalls is disclosed. The apparatus for detecting defects on bottle sidewalls comprises: illumination means for illuminating the sidewall of a bottle; photoelectrically converting means for photoelectrically converting an image of lights transmitted through the sidewall of the bottle illuminated by the illuminating means; defect detecting means for inspecting the transmitted light image photoelectrically converted by the photoelectrically converting means for any defects to detect defects based on brightnesses of at least two points; area-masking means for setting a masking area corresponding to a point to be noted in the transmitted light image, and outputting an area masking signal indicating that the point to be noted is a defect point, based on a distribution of defect points in the masking area; and judging means for judging the presence of a defect on the sidewall of the bottle, based on the area masking signal from the area masking means.

Abstract: A label peeler for peeling off a label attached to a side of a container such as a bottle includes a holder for holding the container, label scraping means for scraping the label off the container by effecting sliding movement in intimate contact with the side of the container, and driving means for varying the relative position of the container and the lavel scraping means to remove the label from the side of the container. With the container being held by the holder, the holder or the label scraping means or both are moved to vary the relative position of the container and the label scraping means while keeping the label scraping means in close contact with the side of the container, for thereby mechanically peeling the label off the container.

Abstract: Bead producing process and an apparatus in which sol having enzymes, plant tissues, etc. dispersed therein is dropped into a solidifying liquid through a perforated plate. The sol is fed from a sol supply tank to a position near of the outer periphery of the planet gear of a planetary gear mechanism which is disposed on the perforated plate. At this moment, the sol supply tank is raised at a given rate in proportion to a decrease in the liquid level thereof so that the liquid level of the sol in the sol supply tank may be kept constant with respect to the perforated plate.

Abstract: A method and a device for inspecting the sidewall of a bottle is disclosed. In the method and device for inspecting the sidewall of the bottle, an elongate illumination portion is moved to irradiate illumination light to the sidewall of the bottle to be inspected, an elongate observation portion moved synchronously with the elongate illumination portion to observe the illumination light transmitted through the sidewall of the bottle, and based on an image of the transmitted light, the presence of defects is judged. Light blocking defects and refractional defects on the sidewall of the bottle can be detected with high precision.

Abstract: A yeast-containing beer contained in a container and comprising a product beer the fermentation of which has been substantially completed and a yeast existing in a concentration of 10.sup.2 to 10.sup.6 cells/ml in said beer. Change of the beer flavor with the pasasge of time can be prevented by the yeast within the beer.

Abstract: A container supply system supplies a plurality of containers such bottles encased in a box to a container processing machine such as a bottle washing machine. The container supply system includes a box reverser for reversing the box with the bottles encased therein, a container holder disposed for holding the bottles discharged from the reversed box and thereafter releasing the bottles, a container receiver having a plurality of container receiver members for receiving the bottles, respectively, and a container ejector having a plurality of container ejector members for pushing the bottles from the container receiver to the container processing machine. In one embodiment, the container receiver is positioned below the box reverser. In another embodiment, the box reverser and the container receiver are spaced from each other, and a delivery carriage is provided for receiving the containers from the box reverser and delivering the received containers to the container receiver.

Abstract: An aerobic-cultivation tank of vertical type comprises: a closed outer tank structure of cylindrical shape; an internal cooling jacket secured concentrically to the inner wall surface of said tank structure and having a cylindrical space for accommodating a coolant; a plurality of fluid downcast pipes passed vertically through said space and being open at upper and lower ends thereof to upper and lower interior parts of the tank structure; means for passing the coolant through said space; and means for supplying fluid media into the tank structure, whereby, when the fluid media are supplied into the tank structure to a level above the upper ends of the fluid downcast pipes, the fluid media overflow into and descend through said pipes, while being cooled, into a lower interior part of the tank, while a portion of said fluid media in contact with the inner surface of the cooling jacket is also cooled and descends, the fluid media body as a whole thereby undergoing a natural circulatory flow due to convection.

Abstract: DNA strand having an ability in biotechnological production of .alpha.-acetolactate decarboxylase is disclosed. The DNA strand is characterized in that it has a nucleotide sequence coding for a polypeptide whose amino acid sequence is substantially from A to B of FIG. 1 and which has .alpha.-acetolactate decarboxcylase activity. Also disclosed is a yeast which belongs to Saccharomyces cerevisiae and which has been transformed by the DNA strand. The yeast is characterized by the face that its .alpha.-acetolactate producing ability is reduced, and will thus produce an alcoholic liquor such as beer which contains no or little diacetyls which have come from their precursor, namely .alpha.-acetolactate.

Abstract: A porous filter element for filtering a liquid, the filter element having a plurality of seamless filter element units that are made of stainless steel or titanium powder wherein ranges of particle diameters, sintering densities, and nominal pore sizes define a final shape which is formed with undulations to provide bed surfaces for an auxiliary filtering agent.

Abstract: An anthracycline compound (13-deoxycarminomycin) selected from the group consisting of anthracycline compounds represented by the following formula ##STR1## R1 is a hydroxy group, R2 represents a hydrogen atom or a hydroxyl group,R3 is a hydrogen atom,R4 represents one of the following groups (a) to (d) ##STR2## and if R2 is hydroxyl, R4 is not (d).

Abstract: Disclosed is a process for producing a 10-hydroxyanthracycline of the following formula (II) which comprises reacting a compound of the following formula (I) or an acid addition salt thereof with an N-oxide of a tertiary amine ##STR1## wherein: R.sup.1 through R.sup.6 each designate any of H, OH and OCH.sub.3 ; R.sup.7 designates any of H, OH and a sugar residue; and R.sup.8 designates any of C.sub.2 H.sub.5, COCH.sub.3, CH(OH)CH.sub.3, CH(OH)CH.sub.2 (OH) and COCH.sub.2 OH. In accordance with this process, it is possible to efficiently introduce a hydroxyl group into the 10-position of an anthracycline having no substitutent at the same position thereof.

Abstract: A draught beer dispensing system according to the present invention comprises a pressure regulating valve for regulating pressure of carbon dioxide gases supplied from a source of supplying carbon dioxide gases to a draught beer receiving receptacle, a temperature detector provided adjacent to the receiving receptacle to detect a temperature of draught beer within the receiving receptacle, and an arithmetically control device for controlling the pressure regulating valve on the basis of a detected value of the temperature detector, wherein in dispensing the draught beer from the draught beer receiving receptacle, a temperature of the draught beer within the receiving receptacle is detected by the temperature detector, the detected value is inputted into the arithmetically control device, supplied pressure of carbon dioxide gases supplied into the draught beer receiving receptacle is arithmetically operated on the basis of the relationship between beer temperature and pressure stored in advance in the arithmet

Abstract: An apparatus for inspecting the sidewall of a bottle, comprises an illuminating unit for applying light to the sidewall of a bottle under rotating; a photoelectric conversion unit for photoelectrically converting a light transmitted image of the sidewall applied with light by the illuminating unit into electric signals; a defect detecting unit for detecting a defect point within the light transmitted image which has been photoelectrically converted by the photoelectric conversion unit, based on the brightness of at least two points on an inspection scan line; and a judge unit for judging if the inspection scan line is a defective scan line based on the defect point detected by the defect detecting unit, judging if there is a defect on the sidewall of a bottle based on the state of continuation of defective scan lines.