Abstract: Nitrogen oxides are removed from an exhaust gas containing nitrogen oxides and oxygen in an amount larger than its stoichiometric amount relative to unburned components in the exhaust gas, by (i) disposing an exhaust gas cleaner in a flow path of the exhaust gas, the exhaust gas cleaner comprising 0.2-15 weight % (on a metal basis) of fine silver or silver oxides having an average diameter of 10-1,000 nm and supported on a porous inorganic oxide; (ii) introducing hydrocarbons and/or oxygen-containing organic compounds into the exhaust gas on the upstream side of the exhaust gas cleaner; and (iii) bringing the exhaust gas into contact with the exhaust gas cleaner at a temperature of 200.degree.-600.degree. C., thereby causing a reaction of nitrogen oxides with the hydrocarbons and/or oxygen-containing organic compounds.

Abstract: A flier launched from an electrothermal accelerator 2 is collided against a specimen 53 retained in a sealed specimen receptacle 36, so that impact testing or perforation processing can be effected without disturbing collision environments such as temperature and atmosphere.

Abstract: Garbage resulting from the preparation, cooking and dispensing of food and containing water-insoluble organic components is treated first heated in the presence of water at a temperature of 100.degree.-400.degree. C. and a pressure higher than the saturated water vapor pressure to convert at least part of the water-insoluble components into water-soluble organic components and to obtain a mixture containing the water-soluble components dissolved in the water. The mixture is then subjected to methane fermentation to convert the water-soluble organic components into methane.

Abstract: A photocatalyst sheet capable of purifying the living environment by decomposing and removing malodorous substances and environment-polluting substances in the air, preventing development of bacterium, fungi, and protecting contamination, and a method for production thereof which comprises coating a solution of a titania sol on the surface of a sheet of organic substance such as plastic, and heating it under pressure to deposit the titanium powder on the surface of the sheet.

Abstract: An apparatus includes the position determining members for determining the relative position between the reference frame and the head utilizing at least the teeth or external acoustic meatuses and the nose of the head, and the placement members for placing the magnetic field generating elements for MEG and the markers for MRI measurement at the predetermined reference positions on the head by operating the positioning mechanism movably provided on the reference frame. Thus, the reference points for MRI measurement and MEG can be precisely set at the same position with relatively simple operation.

Abstract: When a saturated aqueous solution of a bolaform glycolipid represented by the general formulaG--NH--CO--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --CO--NH--G,in which G is a residue derived from a D- or L-glucopyranose by excepting the reduced-terminal hydroxyl group and the subscript n is 10, 12 or 14, at a high temperature, e.g., 90 .degree. C. or higher, is cooled at a controlled rate of 0.5 .degree. C./minute or lower, crystallite growth of the precipitates proceeds to form an ultrafine fibrous assembly of up to several hundreds .mu.m length having a twisted fibrous morphology of right- or left-hand screw. The twisted fibrous assembly thus obtained has usefulness as a functional material in the field of fine chemicals and in the fields of electronic and information technologies.

Abstract: Disclosed is a novel .beta.-lactam compound, a 7-substituted-2-oxa-7-azabicyclo?3.2.0!heptan-6-one represented by the general formula ##STR1## in which R is an alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, halogen-substituted aryl or alkaryl group, having usefulness as an intermediate for the synthesis of various biologically active compounds. The compound can be prepared by the reaction of an isocyanate compound RNCO, R being the same as above, and 2,3-dihydrofuran, preferably, under pressurization up to 2000 atmospheres or higher.

Abstract: Disclosed is a method for the preparation of a fiber-reinforced silicon carbide-based composite ceramic body having outstandingly high mechanical strengths even without using any sintering aids or without undertaking the hot-press sintering method. The method comprises impregnating carbon fibers or silicon carbide fibers with a slurry containing an elementary silicon powder, an organic resin, e.g., phenolic resins, and an organosilicon polymer, e.g., polysilastyrenes, according to a specified formulation and shaping the impregnated fibers into a green body which is subjected to a calcination treatment at 1300.degree.-1500.degree. C. in an inert atmosphere under normal pressure.

Abstract: A process for the isolation of carbon nanotubes from a mixture containing carbon nanotubes and graphite is disclosed, which includes the steps of:(a) reacting the mixture with a metal compound to intercalate the metal compound into the graphite;(b) reducing the reaction mixture obtained in step (a) to convert the intercalated metal compound to elemental metal;(c) heating the reduction mixture obtained in step (b) at a temperature of 450-600.degree. C. in an oxygen-containing atmosphere to selectively oxidize the graphite and the elemental metal; and(d) contacting the heated mixture obtained in step (c) with a liquid to dissolve the oxidized metal in the liquid and to separate the carbon nanotubes as a solid phase from the oxidized metal.

Abstract: A single-nerve-action-potential-measuring apparatus comprises a multi-channel electrode, a space-damping-vector-calculating section, and a single nerve action potential separating and extraction section. The multi-channel electrode, which consists of multiple bunched micro electrode wires, measures the compound nerve action potential. The space-damping-vector-calculating section evaluates the damping effect corresponding to the distance between the micro electrode wires and nerve cells with no effect from a decrease in the signal-to-noise ratio. The single nerve action potential separating and extracting section extracts only the nerve action potential generated from a particular neuron by clustering the space-damping-vectors. These features enable the apparatus to separate and extract a single-nerve action spike with high precision even under conditions when the signal-to-noise ratio is low or at a site where cells are densely packed.

Abstract: An unsaturated phosphonic ester is produced by reaction of an acetylene compound with a secondary phosphite in the presence of a palladium complex catalyst.

Abstract: There is disclosed an enzyme electrode, comprising a polyion complex membrane of an immobilized enzyme, formed on an electrode base. According to the enzyme electrode, an enzyme substrate or the like can be quantitatively determined with less hindrance of easily oxidizable coexistent materials, conveniently, exactly, and rapidly.

Abstract: An organic material-containing sludge is fluidized and is heat-treated at a high pressure in a reactor disposed underground to obtain an oil having a high calorific value. The heat treatment may be performed using an electrical energy, the terrestrial heat or a reaction heat obtained by oxidative treatment of similer sludge.

Abstract: A novel and simple method is proposed for the synthetic preparation of an N,N-disubstituted .beta.-ketothioamide compound represented by the general formulaR.sup.1 R.sup.2 N--CS--CH.sub.2 --CO--R.sup.3,in which R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are each a monovalent hydrocarbon group or each a divalent hydrocarbon group jointly forming a cyclic structure together with the nitrogen atom and R.sup.3 is a hydrogen atom, a monovalent hydrocarbon group or a divalent hydrocarbon group forming a cyclic structure jointly with R.sup.1, R.sup.1 being a divalent hydrocarbon group and R.sup.2 being a monovalent hydrocarbon group. The method comprises:(a) mixing an N,N-disubstituted amide compound represented by the general formulaR.sup.1 R.sup.2 N--CO--R.sup.3,and a bis(trialkylsilyl)thioketene compound represented by the general formula(R.sub.3 Si).sub.2 C.dbd.C.dbd.

Abstract: A polycarbonate resin, such as a poly(tetramethylene carbonate) resin, is enzymatically decomposed by contacting the polycarbonate resin with at least one enzyme selected from porcine pancreas lipase, Pseudomonas sp. lipase and Pseudomonas sp. lipoprotein lipase in the presence of water.

Abstract: A method of separating carbon dioxide from a carbon dioxide-containing gas is disclosed, wherein the carbon dioxide-containing gas is contacted with a metal oxide to fix the carbon dioxide as a metal carbonate, and the metal carbonate is thermally decomposed into metal oxide by contact with a combustion gas produced by combusting a fuel with a pure oxygen gas. The metal oxide thus produced is recycled to the previous step for fixation of carbon dioxide. A combustion apparatus is constructed to carry out the above method so that the combustion gas produced is treated to separate the carbon dioxide contained therein.

Abstract: Proposed is a grain boundary-free crystalline body of a perovskite structure having a chemical composition of the formula Pr.sub.1-x M.sub.x MnO.sub.3, in which M is calcium or strontium and the subscript x is a number of 0.3 to 0.5, which exhibits a magnetoresistance behavior with a phase transition between an insulator phase and a ferromagnetic metallic phase accompanied by the phenomenon of hysteresis. This grain boundary-free crystalline body can be obtained by subjecting a sintered body of a powder blend consisting of the oxides of praseodymium, manganese and calcium or strontium to a crystal growing treatment by the floating zone-melting method in an atmosphere of oxygen.

Abstract: An allylbiguanide polymer having the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 stand, independently of each other, for a hydrogen atom, a substituted or non-substituted aliphatic hydrocarbon group, a substituted or non-substituted alicyclic hydrocarbon group or a substituted or non-substituted aromatic group and n represents an average degree of polymerization of at least 2, or an acid addition salt thereof. The polymer may be obtained by polymerizing an allylbiguanide compound of the formula shown below or an acid addition salt thereof at a pH of 5 or less, ##STR2## wherein R.sup.1, R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 have the same meaning as above.

Abstract: There is disclosed a method of preparing cyclic silyl enol ethers (1-oxa-2-sila-5-cyclohexenes), comprising reacting a silacyclobutane with an acid halide in the presence of a palladium catalyst and an organic base. There is also disclosed novel cyclic silyl enol ethers obtained by the above method. The above cyclic silyl enol ethers belong to a new class of silyl enol ethers which are useful in the production of medicines and agricultural chemicals, and they can be used as intermediates of fine chemicals or as various reagents for fine synthesis.

Abstract: A composite catalyst having a substrate, and a catalytic layer supported on the substrate and including 100 parts by weight of particles of a photocatalyst dispersed in 6-32 parts by weight of a matrix of an alkali metal silicate.