Abstract: The watch design creating system according to the present invention utilizes, for example, the internet as an information communication network. For example, a consumer (1) in subscribers (1 to N) which are customers, requests design information to a host computer (H) of the watch maker which is a watch supplier, through the internet, the watch maker provides, for example, a CD-ROM stored design software and data used for original design to the consumer. The consumer creates the original design watch in accordance with steps stored in the CD-ROM, records it into a FD (floppy disk) and sends it to the watch maker. The watch maker produces the original watch and delivers the completed watch to the consumer (FIG. 1).

Abstract: The watch design creating system according to the present invention utilizes, for example, the internet as an information communication network. For example, a consumer (1) in subscribers (1 to N) which are customers, requests design information to a host computer (H) of the watch maker which is a watch supplier, through the internet, the watch maker provides, for example, a CD-ROM stored design software and data used for original design to the consumer. The consumer creates the original design watch in accordance with steps stored in the CD-ROM, records it into a FD (floppy disk) and sends it to the watch maker. The watch maker produces the original watch and delivers the completed watch to the consumer (FIG. 1).

Abstract: A method of inhibiting the growth of cancers susceptible to treatment with .alpha.-carotene, which comprises: administering an effective cancer cell growth inhibiting amount of .alpha.-carotene to a manmal having said cancer cells.

Abstract: The invention provides a novel method for the preparation of a lower alkyl, e.g. methyl, ester of fatty acid by the alcoholysis reaction of fatty acid glyceride, i.e. naturally occurring oils or fats, with a lower alcohol, according to which high-quality products containing very small amounts of colored or coloring impurities are readily obtained without the necessity of troublesome procedure or expensive apparatus as in the conventional methods. The inventive method is in principle a two-step alcoholysis reaction and the product obtained in the first step is separated from the by-product glycerine and then subjected to the second alcoholysis reaction followed by admixing of an appropriate amount of water and phase separation so that the undesirable impurities transfer into the aqueous layer and readily separated from the ester product.

Abstract: A method comprises in combination a step of effecting treatment by a foam separation method and a pressure/heating step for effecting treatment in the presence of an inorganic electrolyte, thereby recovering a nonionic surface active agent from a nonionic surface active agent containing waste water, while at the same time purifying the waste water.