Abstract: A cholesteryl compound has formula (1), and a rewritable full-color thermosensitive recording material contains the above-mentioned cholesteryl compound of formula (1): YO—CO(CH2)n—A—(CH2)nCO—OY  (1) wherein A is a 1,5-hexadienylene group represented by the formula —C(R)═CHCH2CH2CH═C(R)-, in which R is a hydrogen atom or methyl group; Y is a cholesterol residue obtained by removing a hydroxyl group from cholesterol; and n is an integer of 5 to 7.

Abstract: A process for forming a dense, epitaxial metal oxide film on a single crystal substrate, including cleaning the surface of the single crystal substrate, contacting the cleaned surface with a polar organic compound such as a small molecular weight alcohol, so that the cleaned surface adsorbs the polar organic compound, then applying a hydrocarbon solvent solution containing at least one organic group-containing metal compound on the polar organic compound-adsorbed surface, and then heating the substrate to decompose the organic group-containing metal compound and to form a dense epitaxial metal oxide film on the substrate.

Abstract: A method of producing a mesoporous silica material, including reacting, with stirring, a liquid mixture containing a tetraalkyl orthosilicate, a linear alkylamine, an inorganic acid and water, and drying and thermally treating the thus obtained solid product, wherein the amounts of the inorganic acid, alkylamine and water are 0.05-0.6 mol, 0.2-1.0 mol and 10-100 mol, respectively, per mol of the tetraalkyl orthosilicate. Mesoporous silica hard spheres having an average pore diameter of 1.5-4 nm and a volume average diameter of 40-80 &mgr;m. The mesoporous silica hard spheres may contain metal components other than silica.

Abstract: A process is provided which can easily produce a hydroxyl groups-containing cyclic ether compound in which at least one of the hydroxyl groups except a primary hydroxyl group thereof and its neighboring secondary hydroxyl group is protected. A hydroxyl groups-containing cyclic ether is reacted with a difunctional silicon compound represented by the following formula (2) R2R3SiX12  (2) wherein R2 and R3 each represent an aromatic group or a branched aliphatic group having at least 3 carbon atoms and X1 represents a residue of an acid, then with a monofunction al silicon compound represented by the following formula (3) R4R5R6SiX2  (3) wherein R4, R5 and R6 each represent an aromatic group or an aliphatic group and X2 represents an eliminative group, and then with hydrofluoric acid in the presence of a base.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of treating a fire-retardant resin material, or a thermosetting resin material whose base is an epoxy resin or an ABS resin, to yield oil substances, which method comprises causing hydrocracking of a resin material in a hydrogen-donating solvent in the presence of a porous carbonaceous substance in a nitrogen atmosphere at 300 to 420.degree. C., to yield an oil substance. According to the treatment method to yield oil substances, fire-retardant resin materials and thermosetting resin materials whose decomposition has hitherto been difficult, can be converted entirely to oil substances, which can be reused as fuels or the like, and the volume of the resin materials can be reduced considerably. Therefore, the method can greatly contribute to the waste disposal and recycling.

Abstract: A field emission cathode that can uniform the number of electrons emitted from each emitter and can prevent a line defect even when a gate electrode is electrically short-circuited with an emitter. The movement of electrons in a channel formed on the channel forming electrode is controlled by applying a positive voltage to the current control electrode, so that the current supplied from the cathode electrode to the emitter can be controlled. If the emitter is short-circuited with the gate electrode, the increased current density destroys the channel, so that the current supply to the emitter can be stopped.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel cathode ray-luminescent phosphor which is a composite body consisting of a dealuminized zeolite carrying a specified amount of a metal such as tin, cobalt and nickel or an oxide thereof within the pores of the dealuminized zeolite structure. The cathode ray-luminescent phosphor is prepared by a method comprising the steps of: (a) heating an ammonium-form zeolite in the presence of steam to effect dealuminization of the zeolite; (b) impregnating the dealuminized zeolite with an aqueous solution of a metal salt in an amount of the metal salt in the range from 10 to 60 parts by weight calculated as metal per 100 parts by weight of the dealuminized zeolite; (c) drying the dealuminized zeolite impregnated with the aqueous metal salt solution; and (d) calcining the dried zeolite in a reducing or oxidizing atmosphere at a temperature in the range from 450 to 600.degree. C. for 1 to 5 hours to form a composite of the dealuminized zeolite and the metal or an oxide of the metal, respectively.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a calcium phosphate coating film on the surface of a substrate, even a substrate which has poor heat resistance. The method comprises the steps of soaking a substrate in a first solution containing phosphate ions, inter alia, aqueous solutions of a basic phosphate salt such as Na.sub.3 PO.sub.4 or Na.sub.2 HPO.sub.4 ; removing the substrate and drying it; and soaking the substrate in a second solution (aqueous solution) containing calcium ions, to thereby obtain a coating film comprising hydroxyapatite or a mixture containing hydroxyapatite and a hydroxyapatite precursor. The substrate removed from the second solution may be soaked in a third solution (aqueous solution) containing an apatite component at a substantially saturated or supersaturated concentration, to thereby form a hydroxyapatite coating film. There may be used substrates formed of metals, ceramics, organic polymer materials, etc.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method and an apparatus, of treating wastewater containing chemical substances, which comprises passing, into a continuous phase of water to be treated that has been formed by supplying raw water from an upper part of a tower, a supercritical fluid, from a lower part of the tower, to the upper part thereof, to bring the water to be treated and the supercritical fluid in countercurrent contact with each other, thereby separating the chemical substances from the water to be treated. These method and apparatus make it possible to treat wastewater containing chemical substances at a medium concentration, for which conventionally an effective physical or chemical treatment method is not found, efficiently without involvement of any secondary pollution.

Abstract: A polysilane is produced by subjecting a trihydrosilane to hydrogenative condensation in the presence of a titanium or zirconim complex catalyst having a first group selected from a dialkylaminoalkylcyclopentadienyl group, an .alpha.-[(dialkylamino)alkyl]indenyl group and a .beta.-[(dialkylamino)alkyl]indenyl group and a second group selected from a cyclopentadienyl group and a pentamethylcyclopentadienyl group. The above dialkylaminoalkyl group may be replaced by a branched alkyl group. The zirconium complexes are novel compounds.

Abstract: Mesophilic xylanases derived from Acremonium cellulolyticus. A mesophilic xylanase I, derived from the mold Acremonium cellulolyticus, capable of non-specifically hydrolyzing xylan mainly into xylose, xylobiose and xylotriose, having an optimal pH at 3.5 and an optimal temperature for action at 55.degree. C. as determined by saccharifying activity for soluble xylan as a substrate and a molecular weight of 30,000 as determined by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A mesophilic xylanase II having an optimal pH a 3.8, an optimal temperature for action at 55.degree. C. and a molecular weight of 25,500. A mesophilic xylanase III having an optimal pH at 3.5, an optimal temperature for action at 50.degree. C. and a molecular weight of 33,500.

Abstract: Disclosed is a fine fibrous assembly having a molecular structure of a bola-form peptide lipid containing L- or D-valine residues which can be obtained by spontaneous crystallization precipitation when an aqueous solution of the peptide lipid compound of the general formula ##STR1## in which Me is a methyl group, the subscript m is 1, 2 or 3 and the subscript n is a positive integer in the range from 6 to 18, in the form of an alkali metal salt is kept standing over days under an atmosphere of a saturated vapor over a dilute aqueous solution of a vaporizable acid such as acetic acid.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for producing a samarium monosulfide piezochromic thin film, and the present invention relates to a process for producing a thin film material at a high film formation rate by forming a samarium monosulfide thin film on a substrate by a reactive sputtering deposition process, which is a process for producing a samarium monosulfide (SmS) thin film, characterized by co-sputtering a disamarium trisulfide (Sm.sub.2 S.sub.3) compound target and a samarium (Sm) metal target simultaneously in an inert gas discharge.

Abstract: An acyl peptide hydrolase having an optimum temperature range of 90-95.degree. C. and a gene encoding the same are disclosed. With the above enzyme, it becomes possible to conduct amino terminal analysis of acylated proteins and peptides at high temperatures.

Abstract: The object of the present invention is to analyze the amino acid sequence of the protein constituting the cellulase system, to clone the gene coding for the components of the cellulase system, and to establish a technique of inserting a clonal gene into the above strain thereby to produce cellulase having enhanced avicellase activity. The present invention relates to a protein having a part or the whole of the amino acid sequence depicted in the sequence listing under SEQ ID NO:1 and possessing cellulase activity, a DNA coding for the protein, an expression vector containing the DNA, a microorganism as transformed by the expression vector, and a process for producing a protein having enhanced cellulase activity by using the microorganism.

Abstract: A method of decomposing a polychlorobiphenyl compound-containing material into an unharmful state, wherein the material is treated with a supercritical water containing an alkaline substance at a temperature higher than the critical temperature of water and a pressure higher than the critical pressure of water.

Abstract: A catalyst for methanol synthesis and reforming which is constituted of copper, zinc, and aluminum oxides and has a structure comprising copper or copper oxide particles covered with a film of aluminum oxide and zinc oxide. The copper or copper oxide particles preferably have a particle size of 1 to 100 nm. The film of aluminum oxide and zinc oxide preferably has a thickness of 0.1 to 100 nm. The proportions of the copper, zinc, and aluminum elements are 68.0 to 86.0% by weight, 4.5 to 21.0% by weight, and 2.0 to 20.0% by weight, respectively. The foregoing highly active catalyst comprising copper, zinc, and aluminum oxides can be obtained not by a costly special technique but by the coprecipitation method, which is the most common process for catalyst production, without using any additive element.

Abstract: A process of treating a liquid waste containing organic matters, which includes contacting, in a digestion zone maintained in anaerobic conditions, the liquid waste with bacterial granules of (a) acid fermentation bacteria and/or methane-producing bacteria and (b) phototrophic bacteria, while irradiating the bacterial granules with light, to digest the organic matters and to proliferate the phototrophic bacteria.

Abstract: A rewritable, color image recording medium composed of a pair of opposed substrates at least one of which is transparent, and an intermediate layer interposed between the substrates. The intermediate layer contains at least one cholesteric liquid crystal compound having a molecular weight of not greater than 2,000 and a glass transition point of at least 35.degree. C., and a photochromic compound. By irradiating the intermediate layer imagewise with the light through the transparent substrate, while maintaining the intermediate layer at such a temperature that the cholesteric liquid crystal compound assumes a cholesteric liquid crystal phase, an image is formed. The image may be fixed by rapidly cooling the recording medium to a temperature lower than the glass transition.

Abstract: A tricalcium-phosphate-based prosthetic material is disclosed, which is a sintered ceramic body mainly consisting of tricalcium phosphate containing a limited amount of zinc, which is a known element having an osteogenesis-promoting effect, in the form of a solid solution. By virtue of the limited content of zinc and the form of solid solution in which zinc is contained, the inventive material exhibits an osteogenesis-promoting effect without toxicity. The ceramic body is prepared, preferably, by a process in which a tricalcium phosphate powder containing 0.015-8.00% by weight of zinc is diluted by the addition of hydroxyapatite and/or tricalcium phosphate free from zinc in such a proportion as to give a (Ca+Zn)/P molar ratio of 1.55 to 1.65 and the powder blend is shaped and subjected to sintering.