Abstract: Cells of a novel strain of Drechslera monoceras having practical weed controlling activity against barnyard grass (Echinochloa spp.) at temperatures ranging from 26° C. to 35° C., and exhibiting no pathogenicity to major crops, including rice, are used as a herbicidal component.

Abstract: A piezoelectric oscillator element (100) constituting a piezoelectric transformer is supported by lead frames (32, 34, 36). One of the ends of the lead frame (32) is welded to a primary side electrode (22) at a connection portion (31), and the other end is welded to a land (42). One of the ends of the lead frame (34) is welded to a primary side electrode (24) at a connection portion (33) and the other end is welded to a land (44). One of the ends of the lead frame (36) is welded to a secondary side electrode (26) at a connection portion (35) and the other end is welded to a land (46). The connection portions (31 and 33) are positioned at a node A of oscillation. Since the electrical and mechanical connection is achieved by the lead frames (32, 34, 36), the structure is simple, the thickness of the oscillator is easily reduced, and the oscillator is easily assembled.

Abstract: The present vehicle door latch device comprises a latch unit for keeping a door in a closed state, and a powered closing unit for supplying the power for fully closing the door, to the latch unit. A motor of the closing unit is connected to a wire lever of the latch unit through a power wire, and an opening lever of the latch unit is connected to a canceling lever of the closing unit through a safety wire. The latch unit has a one-motion door opening mechanism. An inner lever connected to an inside opening handle is engageable with the opening lever. A switch which detects the rotational position of a latch of the latch unit is arranged in such a position as not to be overlapped onto the wire lever.

Abstract: A resin-coated copper foil for use in a multilayer printed wiring board, characterized by having on one surface thereof a resin composition comprising, based on the total amount of the resin components, 50 to 90% by weight of epoxy resins, 5 to 20% by weight of a polyvinyl acetal resin, and 0.1 to 20% by weight of an urethane resin, with the proviso that 0.5 to 40% by weight of the epoxy resins is a rubber-modified epoxy resin; and a multilayer printed wiring board using the resin-coated copper foil therein.

Abstract: The present invention provides a multi-layer laminate consisting essentially of:(A) a layer formed from an ethylene/cycloolefin random copolymer which is a copolymer of ethylene and a cycloolefin represented by a specific formula (e.g., tetracyclododecene), or a layer formed from a cycloolefin resin which is a graft modified product of the ethylene/cycloolefin random copolymer, or a layer formed from a cycloolefin resin composition comprising the cycloolefin resin and a polyolefin, and(B) a barrier layer consisting essentially of ethylene/vinyl alcohol copolymer, polyvinylidene chloride, or polyacrylonitrile, with the barrier layer having an oxygen permeability, as measured at 23.degree. C. and RH of 0%, of not more than 10 cc(STP).mm/m.sup.2.24 hr.atm; said multi-layer laminate having a moisture permeability of not more than 0.2 g.mm/m.sup.2.24 hr.atm and an oxygen permeability of not more than 5 cc(STP).mm/m.sup.2.24 hr.atm. This multi-layer laminate has excellent gas-barrier properties and high rigidity.

Abstract: The present invention provides particles of naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (NDA) exhibiting excellent slurry fluidity, which have an EG slurry property value of 2.7 or below, the above EG slurry property value being defined as a molar ratio of ethylene glycol (EG) to NDA (moles of EG/moles of NDA) of a slurry composed of a mixture of NDA and EG, the above slurry having a viscosity of 1000 cP as measured by Brookfield viscometer. The use of the above naphthalenedicarboxylic acid particles as a raw material for the production of polyethylene naphthalate is advantageous not only from the economic point of view but also in scarcely forming reaction products which deteriorate the quality of polyethylene naphthalate.

Abstract: A novel optical recording medium having at least a recording layer and a reflective layer on a substrate is herein disclosed, wherein at least one dipyrromethene metal chelate compound represented by formula (1) is contained in the recording layer: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.9 are each independently an alkenyl group, an aryl group or a heteroaryl group; R.sub.2 to R.sub.8 are each independently a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, or a substituted or unsubstituted alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, acyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aralkyl, aryl or heteroaryl group having 20 or less carbon atoms; and M is a transition metal.

Abstract: A nickel fine powder includes 0.02 to 1.0% by weight of magnesium and/or 0.02 to 0.1% by weight of calcium dispersed in the nickel. A method for preparing the nickel fine powder includes the steps of forming nickel hydroxide by mixing an aqueous solution containing a magnesium salt and/or a calcium salt and a nickel salt with an aqueous solution of sodium hydroxide and then reducing the hydroxide with a hydrazine reducing agent. The nickel fine powder has thermal shrinkage characteristics very close to those observed for ceramic substrates and is accordingly suitable as a material for producing an internal electrode for laminated ceramic condensers.

Abstract: A DNA encoding 20K hGH is connected directly to a gene encoding Escherichia coli OppA protein secretion signal, or a modified form thereof, and a DNA encoding signal peptidase 1 to construct a recombinant plasmid, E. coli is transformed by said plasmid and cells of the resulting E. coli transformant strain are cultured for secretory production of the 20K hGH in the E. coli periplasm. This method enables efficient secretory production of 20K hGH and easy isolation and purification of 20K hGH from the periplasm fraction because the level of impure proteins in the E. coli periplasm is low.

Abstract: There is provided a process for producing an acid-resistant membrane for separating a mixture, which is used for separation of a liquid and/or gas mixture by pervaporation, vapor permeation etc. The process for producing a membrane for separating a mixture comprises a step of carrying seed crystals of T-type zeolite on a porous support; a step of stirring an aqueous mixture containing a silica source, an alumina source, sodium ions, and potassium ions as the starting materials and then aging the mixture for a predetermined time and a step of immersing the porous support carrying the seed crystals in the aged mixture and then subjecting it to hydrothermal reaction to deposit T-type zeolite on the porous support. There can be provided the separation membrane on which chemical resistance such as acid resistance and alkali resistance as well as durability besides the molecular sieve ability of zeolite itself have been conferred.

Abstract: A slurry contains MnO.sub.2 or other manganese oxide as a primary component of abrasive particles. Further, a polishing process using such a manganese oxide abrasive and a fabrication process of a semiconductor device using such a polishing process are disclosed.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide a preparation process of a semiconductor wafer, in which breakage of the wafer on grinding the back surface of the wafer and on peeling the adhesive tape is prevented, and the operation time can be reduced. The preparation process of a semiconductor wafer comprises the steps of: adhering an adhesive tape on a front surface of a semiconductor wafer; grinding a back surface of the semiconductor wafer by a grinding machine; peeling the adhesive tape; and cleaning the front surface of the semiconductor wafer, wherein an adhesive tape having heat shrinkability is used as the adhesive tape, and after grinding the back surface of the semiconductor wafer, warm water at a temperature of from 50 to 99.degree. C. is poured to peel the adhesive tape in a wafer cleaning machine, and the front surface of the semiconductor wafer is cleaned in the wafer cleaning machine.

Abstract: Propylene oxide is added to an active hydrogen compound in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide catalyst in an amount of from 0.05 to 0.5 mole per mole of the active hydrogen compound at a reaction temperature of from 60 to 98.degree. C. at a reaction pressure less than or equal to 4 kg/cm.sup.2 to prepare a polyoxyalkylene polyol which has a hydroxyl value of from 10 to 35 mg KOH/g, a monool content less than or equal to 15 mol %, a Head-to-Tail bond selectivity greater than or equal to 96 percent, and low viscosity. A polymer polyol is prepared by polymerizing an ethylenically unsaturated monomer in the polyoxyalkylene polyol. A flexible polyurethane foam is prepared by reacting the polyoxyalkylene polyol or the polymer polyol with an organic polyisocyanate compound in the presence of a foaming agent, a catalyst, a surfactant, a crosslinking agent and other additives.

Abstract: A striker for a vehicle door latch device comprises a metal base plate fastened to a vehicle body, a U-shaped metal rod fastened to the base plate and projected toward a vehicle door, and a block member formed on the base plate. The block member comprises a block stay projected from the base plate toward the door and a block portion formed at a tip of the block stay. The block portion is opposed to an inside metal panel of the door when the door is closed. The block portion is brought into contact with the inside metal panel, when the inside metal panel is deformed by an external force to approach the base plate.

Abstract: A propylene polymer composition is prepared by mixing a first propylene polymer prepared using an olefin polymerization catalyst containing a specific metallocene catalyst component of formula (I), e.g., rac-dimethylsilylene-bis{1-(2-ethyl-4-phenylindenyl)} zirconium dichloride, and an organoaluminum-oxy cocatalyst, with a second propylene polymer component. The compositions are excellent in heat resistance, mechanical strength, tensile elongation at break, and other properties and can be used to produce various structural materials, sheets and films.

Abstract: The present invention relates to 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer compositions. Specifically, the present invention relates to adhesive compositions comprising the 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers used in bonding a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer layer and a polar-group-containing resin layer, and laminates obtained by using such compositions. The 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer compositions as these adhesive compositions comprise a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (A); and a modified polyolefin resin (B) comprising a mixture of an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified .alpha.-olefin polymer (B-1) whose .alpha.-olefin is selected from a group of propylene, butene-1 and 4-methyl-1-pentene and an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer (B-2). In these compositions, an unsaturated carboxylic acid-modified 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer (A') showing a particular modification rate and a particular melt flow rate may be used in place of (A) and (B-1).

Abstract: A copolymer of ethylene and an alpha-olefin having an ethylene content of from 30 to 90 mole %, a number average molecular weight of from 300 to 30,000 and a molecular weight distribution defined by a Q value (the ratio of the weight average molecular weight to the number average molecular weight of not more than 3 and a Z value (the ratio of the maximum value of the molecular weight to the minimum value of the molecular weight when the molecular weight is measured by gel permeation chromatography) of from 15 to 200. The said copolymer can be produced by a process comprising copolymerizing ethylene with an alpha-olefin in the liquid phase in the presence of a polymerization catalyst composed of a combination of a soluble vanadium compound and an organoaluminum compound in the co-presence of hydrogen, characterized in that(a) the copolymerization is carried out in a continuous manner,(b) the concentration of the vanadium compound in the polymerization system is maintained at 0.

Abstract: Fluoropolymer compositions containing melt-flowable tetrafluoroethylene copolymers with reactive end groups and isotropic polyesters have excellent adhesion to metal substrates, especially steel, and excellent water resistance.

Abstract: A water-repellent film is applied on to the surface of a welding member such as of a welding backing member disposed backside a joint defined between two mating welding bevels, a welding bevel of a base member to be welded, and a coated welding rod formed by coating a metallic core wire with a flux. The water-repellent film is formed of a hydrophobic material having a contact angle of 90.degree. or above and providing minute concavities and convexities. In a highly humid environment, during rainfall or in water, welding can be effected without weld defects such as blow holes, cracks and the like.

Abstract: An organic compound which is basic and soluble in an organic solvent, does not have a problem in preparation or handling and exhibits catalytic activity as a basic compound, i.e., a phosphine sulfide represented by formula (1), and a manufacturing process therefor, i.e., manufacturing a phosphine sulfide represented by formula (1), by reacting one molecule of thiophosphoryl chloride with three molecules of a phosphorane represented by formula (2). The phosphine sulfide can be used in a process for effectively manufacturing a poly(alkylene oxide) by polymerizing an alkylene oxide in the presence of the phosphine sulfide or of the phosphine sulfide and an active hydrogen compound selected from water and organic compounds having a partial structure of --OH or --NH--; and 2) a process for manufacturing a 1,2-dioxyethane derivative from an epoxy compound, i.