Abstract: A method for the granulation of polytetrafluoroethylene powder comprises spraying a binder solution on the powder while the powder is stirred and ground. The binder solution is an aqueous surfactant solution having a surface tension of 25 dyne/cm or lower at 20.degree. C. and contains polytetrafluoroethylene colloidal particles.

Abstract: A powered sliding unit attached to a vehicle body slides a sliding door from an open position to a half-latch position where a rear latch unit fixed to the sliding door is initially engaged with a rear striker fixed to the vehicle body, and then a powered closing unit provided to the sliding door moves the sliding door from the half-latch position into a full-latch position where the rear latch unit is completely engaged with the rear striker. The powered sliding unit has a vertical base plate, a wire drum rotatably attached to the base plate by a horizontal shaft, and a wire cable for coupling the wire drum with the sliding door. The powered sliding unit is attached in an inner space inside of a rear outer side panel of the vehicle body.

Abstract: An ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer composition including (I) a graft-modified ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer composition and (II) a polyolefin. The graft-modified composition is prepared by graft copolymerizing an ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer with a polar monomer. The ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer composition includes first and second ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymers. The copolymers are each prepared in the presence of a polymerization catalyst containing (a) an organoaluminum oxy compound and (b) for the first ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer at least two kinds, and for the second ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer one kind, of compounds of Group IV transition metals of the periodic table containing a ligand having a cyclopentadienyl skeleton. The graft-modified ethylene/.alpha.-olefin copolymer composition is blended with a polyolefin, such as by mechanical or solution blending, at a weight ratio (I) to (II) of 1:99 to 99:1.

Abstract: This invention provides a process for producing an electrolytic copper foil for a printed wiring board by supplying current between a rotary cathode and an electrolytic anode in a copper electrolyte so as to electrodeposit copper on the surface of the rotary cathode, wherein an anode for high electric current is placed opposite to the electrodeposition starting surface of the rotary cathode in such a manner that a part of the anode is projected above a liquid level of the copper electrolyte, and the copper electrolyte existing between the anode for high electric current and the opposed rotary cathode surface is electrolyzed by providing a high electric current with a current density higher than that of the electrolytic anode, and an apparatus for producing an electrolytic copper foil for a printed wiring board having excellent properties.

Abstract: A latch device arrangement for a vehicle comprises a main engaging assembly attached to a vehicle body, a sub engaging assembly attached to a movable roof which is displaceable between a storing position and a lifted position and engageable with the main assembly for holding the roof in the storing position. The sub assembly has a ratchet for holding the engagement of the main and sub assemblies. The main assembly has a ratchet lever which comes into contact with the ratchet to release the engagement of the main and sub assemblies. The arrangement further has an open lever connected to the ratchet lever, a rotating handle rotating the open lever from a standby position toward an operating position, and a lock pin displaceable between a locked position and an unlocked position.

Abstract: A powered sliding device for a vehicle sliding door comprises a motor, a wire drum rotated by the motor, a wire cable provided between the wire drum and the sliding door, an optical sensor for outputting a detecting signal when the wire drum rotates, a controller for calculating from the detecting signal at least one of a rotational speed of the wire drum, a rotational amount of the wire drum and a rotational direction of the wire drum, a latch unit provided in the sliding door and engageable with a striker, a power supply switch for supplying electric power to the optical sensor. The power supply switch stops supplying the power to the optical sensor while the door is being closed.

Abstract: A novel phytase is disclosed. The phytase consists essentially of a single type of subunits, and can hydrolyze a phytate to myo-inositol. A gene encoding the phytase, which is originated from Schwanniomyces occidentalis is also disclosed.

Abstract: A process for preparing an expanded product of a thermoplastic resin which includes a gas dissolving step of adding supercritical carbon dioxide and/or nitrogen as an blowing agent to a thermoplastic resin, and melting it in the thermoplastic resin, a cooling step of cooling the resulting molten resin composition under a pressure not less than a critical pressure of the blowing agent, a nuclei forming step of discharging the molten resin composition from a die to lower the pressure to a level not more than the critical pressure, and an expansion controlling step of cooling an expanded product of the thermoplastic resin to a level not more than a glass transition temperature or a crystallization temperature of the resin to control a cell diameter of the expanded product.

Abstract: Disclosed is a resin composition for the making of automobile bumpers comprising specified amounts of (A) a specific propylene-ethylene block copolymer, (B) a specific propylene homopolymer, (C) (C1) an ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber (EPM) and/or (C2) an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer rubber (EPDM), (D) talc, and optionally (E) a polyhydroxy polyolefin. This resin composition shows an improvement in flexural modulus of elasticity and low-temperature impact resistance and also has good processability by injection molding, especially in terms of planar smoothness. Moreover, when component (E) is added, this resin composition provides automobile bumpers having adequate coating adhesion and hence excellent paintability. Thus, this resin composition is highly suitable for use in the making of automobile bumpers.

Abstract: An opening and closing device for a vehicle sliding door slidably attached to a vehicle body.

Abstract: The names of a plurality of polyolefine resins are previously registered as index data in a name data base. An optimal operational pattern is stored in an operational pattern table for each combination of the name of a current resin under production and the name of a target resin to be produced. The optimal operation pattern is selected based on the name of the current resin under production and the name of the next target resin to be produced. Based on the selected optimal operational pattern, resin-type change control is executed.

Abstract: A process for producing a polyethylene terephthalate in which the amount of the oligomers, such as cyclic trimer etc., is lower and which causes metal mold staining to occur difficultly. The process comprises an esterification stage in which dicarboxylicacids including mainly terephthalic acid or ester-forming derivatives of such acids are esterified with glycols including mainly ethylene glycol or with ester-forming derivatives of such glycols; a liquid phase polycondensation stage in which the esterified product obtained in the esterification stage is subjected to a polycondensation in a liquid phase containing a polycondensation catalyst and having a content of an alkaline solubilizing agent of 0.

Abstract: An object of the invention is to provide herbicides which are completely selective to crops such as paddy rice, soybeans and cotton and have an excellent herbicidal activity on weeds.The invention relates to ether compounds of the general formula (I) ##STR1## in which R.sub.1, R.sub.2, R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 have the same meanings as defined in the text and herbicides containing said compounds as active components.

Abstract: A process for making a laminated sheet by cutting a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet into a plurality of cut sheets. The cut sheets are feed to a butting apparatus to bring adjacent end faces of the cut sheets against each other. The abutted cut sheets are joined to a continuous sheet, which is a fiber-reinforced thermoplastic resin sheet, by melt welding using a heated roller where the cut sheets and the continuous sheet cling to the heated roller. Cooling of the joined cut sheets and continuous sheet occurs by causing such to cling to a cooling roller. A correcting roller is moved along the cooling roller, where the joined cut sheets and continuous sheet are between the cooling roller and the correcting roller, so that the amount of contact arc between the joined cut sheets and continuous sheet is changed to adjust the amount of warp in the joined cut sheets and continuous sheet.

Abstract: Efficient secretory production of a recombinant protein in the periplasm can be attained by artificially regulating co-expression of a gene coding for the target recombinant protein and a gene coding for Sec protein involved in protein transport in E. coli cells under conditions in which excessive expression of the Sec protein is suppressed.

Abstract: Phenols are reacted with hydrogen peroxide in a solution comprising an organic solvent compatible with water, water, a peroxidase and a dispersing agent to obtain spherical polyphenol particles.

Abstract: Described herein is an anticancer agent, an antiviral agent or an antimicrobial agent which contains, as an active ingredient for acting on DNA, a compound presented by the following formula (1) or its pharmacologically acceptable salt: ##STR1##

Abstract: A laminate using a polymeric molded article as a substrate and having a light transparency, gas barrier properties and an excellent alkali resistance. The laminate is obtainable by carrying out a surface treatment to deposit an oxide of at least one metal selected from the metal elements of groups 2, 8, 9, 10 and 11 of the periodic table, and then forming a gas barrier layer such as oxides of silicon, nitrides of silicon and carbides of silicon on the treated surface. The gas barrier layer is not peeled off from the polymeric molded article even after being immersed in an alkali solution of pH 12 or more. The amount of the metal on the treated surface is preferably in the range of 5.times.10.sup.14 atoms/cm.sup.2 to 3.times.10.sup.16 atoms/cm.sup.2 in terms of the metal atoms per unit area. The practical performance of the laminate is not deteriorated during the patterning, by alkali etching, of a transparent conductive layer formed on the laminate.

Abstract: A sliding material and a heat resistant filament which primarily comprises a liquid crystal polyimide, a liquid crystal polyamide or a liquid crystal polyamide-imide copolymer having at least one recurring structural unit selected from the formula (1) and the formula (2) and is excellent in heat resistance, mechanical characteristics and other fundamental properties of polyimides, and relates to significant improvement of heat-resistance by heat-treating the sliding material, the filament and the molded items. The liquid crystal polyamide-imide copolymer which comprises in a polymer molecule 0.05.about.0.95 mole ratio of the recurring structural units of the formula (1) and 0.95.about.0.

Abstract: A preparation process of a degradable copolymer comprising carrying out dehydration polycondensation of polysaccharide (A) with one or more compounds (B) selected from the group consisting of:(b1) hydroxycarboxylic acid,(b2) polyhydroxycarboxylic acid,(b3) aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and aliphatic polybasic acid, and(b4) aliphatic polyester derived from aliphatic polyhydric alcohol and aliphatic polybasic acid.A copolymer having a high molecular weight, excellent toughness, transparency and heat resistance, and additionally having a high melt tension can be obtained with a reaction time less than a half of the conventional process. The copolymer obtained by the invention is a material suited for injection molding, extrusion, calendaring, blow forming, balloon forming, vacuum forming and foaming. Particularly, the copolymer obtained by the invention has a high melt tension and thus the molten copolymer is difficult to sag and flow and can be processed with ease into foams and blow bottles.