Abstract: There is provided a high-efficiency DC-DC converter which comprises a voltage resonance circuit to which electric power from a low-voltage direct-current power supply, including a household fuel cell and a solar cell, is input and performs DC-AC conversion by zero-voltage switching, an insulating high-frequency transformer which transmits the converted power, a current resonance circuit which is provided on the secondary side of the transformer and performs zero-current switching, a rectifier circuit which rectifies the output from the current resonance circuit, and a smoothing circuit which rectifies the output from the rectifier circuit.

Abstract: A polymer gel electrolyte composition includes a crosslinked polymer network matrix having a three-dimensional crosslinked structure that includes a solution of an electrolyte in a non-aqueous solvent, and a non-crosslinked polymer included within the crosslinked polymer network matrix. The non-crosslinked polymer includes (a) an ethylene unit and/or propylene unit, and (b) an unsaturated carboxylic acid unit having a carboxyl group esterified by a polyalkylene glycol having one terminal hydroxyl group protected.

Abstract: A method includes determining a first time by a first determining system. The method also includes determining a second time and a spatial position of a terminal receiving the second time, by a second determining system which is different from and independent of the first determining system. The terminal stores, in combination, the first time determined by the first determining system and the second time and the position determined by the second determining system, at each time of determining the spatial position of the terminal, in such a manner that the first time, the second time and the position are arranged in a row when they are outputted, wherein the first and second times are independent of each other.

Abstract: A GPS positioning system that has: at least one mobile station to measure a positional coordinate by receiving radio wave from a satellite; a plurality of fixed stations that have predetermined positional coordinates and receive radio wave from the satellite; and arithmetic processing means, which is connected with at least one mobile station and a plurality of fixed stations via communication, and that transmits correction data suitable for the mobile station to the mobile station based on positioning data transmitted from the mobile station.

Abstract: A multimedia direct communication system linked with HTTP protocol, which comprises application programs and a Web server, wherein the application programs are installed into a plurality of client personal computers (PCs), reside in the PCs such that they are displayed for many hours on the PCs occupying a part of the space on the display of the PCs, and are linked at all times with a Web server via HTTP; the Web server has a CGI interface and is connected to each of the PCs through communication circuits to execute the HTTP communication programs and applications; and each client can transfer (chat) electronic mails with each other in pseudo-real time via Internet and/or Intranet using the application programs.

Abstract: A polymer gel electrolyte composition includes a crosslinked polymer network matrix having a three-dimensional crosslinked structure that includes a solution of an electrolyte in a non-aqueous solvent, and a non-crosslinked polymer included within the crosslinked polymer network matrix. The non-crosslinked polymer includes (a) an ethylene unit and/or propylene unit, and (b) an unsaturated carboxylic acid unit having a carboxyl group esterified by a polyalkylene glycol having one terminal hydroxyl group protected.

Abstract: A GPS positioning system comprises a fixed station and a mobile station. The mobile station has: positional positioning means; imaging means; direction detecting means; and arithmetic processing means. The positional positioning means measures positional coordinates by receiving radio weve from a satellite. The imaging means is arranged in a predetermined position for the GPS positional positioning means. The direction detecting means detects a photographing direction during photographig by the imaging means. The arithmetic processing means forms landscape data in which imaging data that is an output from the imaging means is associated with orientation data that is an output from the direction detecting means.

Abstract: A GPS positioning system comprises a fixed station and a mobile station. The mobile station has: positional positioning means; imaging means; direction detecting means; and arithmetic processing means. The positional positioning means measures positional coordinates by receiving radio wave from a satellite. The imaging means is arranged in a predetermined position for the GPS positional positioning means. The direction detecting means detects a photographing direction during photographing by the imaging means. The arithmetic processing means forms landscape data in which imaging data that is an output from the imaging means is associated with orientation data that is an output from the direction detecting means.

Abstract: Two independent determining systems are used, wherein time or a point of time is determined by one determining system and the spatial position is determined by the other determining system, and wherein the time or the point of time and the position thus determined by the determining systems are stored in a terminal. A position determining apparatus comprises a GPS antenna for receiving the radio wave from a GPS satellite and a GPS receiver for receiving the data from the GPS antenna to determine the position, wherein the GPS receiver includes a processing unit, and thereby the processing unit processes the position coordinate data by the GPS position determination and the time data in another independent time system by correlating them with each other (FIG. 1).

Abstract: Near infrared rays of .lambda.1, .lambda.2, .lambda.3 in wavelength which are different from and near to one another are irradiated from a light source (2) to a part being measured (F) of a living body in such a state that vein bloodstream at the part being measured is stopped by applying a press force of a cuff (8), and the intensities of the transmitted near infrared rays of .lambda., .lambda.2, .lambda.3 in wavelength are detected by a photodetector (4) at the same time. In a processing circuit (14), the absorbance secondary differential value of the near infrared rays by the part being measured (F) is calculated on the basis of the transmitted light intensity detection values thus detected at the same time with respect to the three wavelengths, the variation width thereof within a predetermined time is calculated and then the blood sugar value in the living body is determined from the absorbance secondary differential value variation width on the basis of a calibration curve.

Abstract: In order to subject a cellulosic material such as insulating paper onto and into which transformer high-voltage insulating oil containing PCB has adhered and permeated to washing that removes the PCB etc. to an undetectable value, the cellulosic material to which PCB etc. has adhered is placed in DMI, sulfolane or other aprotic solvent containing an alkali such as caustic soda and stirred.

Abstract: A method of reclaiming waste polyvinyl chloride according to the present invention includes the steps of bringing industrial waste containing polyvinyl chloride into contact with a solvent in which polyvinyl chloride can be dissolved, to remove polyvinyl chloride from the industrial waste, removing substances which cannot be dissolved in the solvent from a polyvinyl chloride solution consisting of the solvent and the polyvinyl dissolved therein, and recovering reclaimed polyvinyl chloride as a substance left over when the solvent is removed from the polyvinyl solution. The industrial waste to be reclaimed includes polyvinyl chips obtained from waste electric wires, polyvinyl chloride-impregnated wallpaper and used agricultural polyvinyl chloride sheets. The solvent used in the present invention consists of at least one kind of organic solvent selected from the group composed of methyl ethyl ketone, methyl isobutyl ketone and dioctyl phthalate.

Abstract: A safe and reliable method of decomposing halogenated aromatic compounds, wherein a heat-resistant alkaline polar solvent containing halogenated aromatic compounds is contacted with a alkali at a temperature ranging from about 100.degree. C. to 300.degree. C. in order to decompose the halogenated aromatic compounds. The used solvent is removed of solid contents of salts, alkalis and the like, whereby it can be recycled.

Abstract: The present invention provides a thermoplastic cement composition, characterized in that the composition can be easily processed thermoplastically during molding and that when the cement component constituting the composition is hardened by the absorption of water, the composition loses its thermoplasticity to give a product having excellent heat resistance and other properties.The thermoplastic cement composition comprises 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic, 50 to 600 parts by weight of a hydraulic cement and/or an air-hardening cement and 0.1 to 20 parts by weight of a hydrophilic substance.

Abstract: A safe and reliable method of removing halogenated aromatic compounds present in small amounts in hydrocarbon oil constituted mainly by non-aromatic hydrocarbon oil. The hydrocarbon oil is contacted with a heat-resistant alkaline polar solvent in the presence of an alkaline at a temperature ranging from about 100.degree. C. to 300.degree. C., and the non-aromatic hydrocarbon oil and heat-resistant alkaline polar solvent are then separated, thereby removing the halogenated aromatic compounds from the hydrocarbon oil.

Abstract: A balloon is formed from a water-soluble film which mainly comprises a polyvinyl alcohol. Coloring agents as food additives are used for pigmenting the balloon. The balloon per se is soluble in water upon coming in contact with water and accordingly, it never becomes a cause of environmental pollution. The coloring agents used are those for use in foods and thus they do not become a cause of environmental pollution.

Abstract: A joint structure for removably attaching a ball member to an end of a bar member to form a truss structure is disclosed having an engagement member attached to the ball member, which engagement member has an exterior portion extending outwardly of the outer surface of the ball member, and an attachment device associated with the end of the bar member which removably engages the exterior portion of the engagement member. The joint structure according to the present invention may be utilized with bar members with or without tension rods extending through the bar member. The ball structure may be a spherical shell made of metal or fiber reinforced plastic which is located within a hollow concrete sphere. The spherical shell is not removed from the interior of the concrete sphere, but, instead, is used to increase the tensile force resistance of the ball member. The spherical shell may be imbedded in the ball member at the time of forming the concrete ball and can be used as a molding core.

Abstract: Impurities containing a pungent taste component are removed from a hot red pepper oleoresin as a starting material therefrom by a supercritical gas extraction method using a carbon dioxide as an extracting reagent, and the extraction residue is used as a red coloring matter. Even when the hot red pepper is used as the raw material, the invention can provide a natural red coloring matter evaluated as having "no pungent taste" by an organoleptic test. When the natural red coloring matter is prepared from the hot red pepper as the raw material by the supercritical gas extraction method, the invention can drastically reduce the gas pressure of the extracting reagent in comparison with the prior art.

Abstract: The present invention provides a pump which is capable of supplying a liquid free from worn materials and other impurities resulting from pump operation. In one embodiment, the pump includes a diverting passageway for diverting flow liquid from the main discharge opening to a gap between a cylinder and a shaft, between an impeller and a bearing and also includes a passageway for discharging the diverted flow liquid containing the worn materials from the gap during operation of the pump in which the main flow liquid is suctioned into the cavity of the pump and discharged through a main discharge opening.

Abstract: A powder feeder for continuous casting is provided with a powder container for storing casting powder in the final stage prior to being supplied onto a molten steel surface, and a spreading feeder for spreading the casting powder on the molten steel surface in a mold. The powder container is arranged above the head of an operator in the operator work area, the spreading feeder is supported and manipulated by a robot arm, and powder is supplied to the spreading feeder from the discharge port of the powder container through a flexible transfer path which can follow the movement of the robot arm.