Abstract: A reel of optical fiber comprising a supporting former and a coil made up of a plurality of superposed layers of touching turns of an optical fiber, a link layer made of a flexible material being disposed directly on the supporting former between said former and said coil, wherein an intermediate support made up of a winding of a plurality of layers of the same optical fiber as that of said coil, and wound in the same way, but with the turns glued together with a glue having strong adhesive power, is further situated between said coil and said flexible link layer.

Abstract: The present invention is concerned with novel optically active phosphorus compounds of the general formula ##STR1## wherein R and R.sup.1 each independently signify hydroxy, a protected hydroxy group, lower alkyl or lower alkoxy andR.sup.2 to R.sup.5 each independently signify alkyl with 3 to 7 carbon atoms, cycloalkyl or aryl or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 or R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 together with the phosphorus form a group of the formula ##STR2## wherein R2 and R3 are different when R4 and R5 are the same, and R4 and R5 are different when R2 and R3 are the same,the manufacture of such compounds, their use for enantioselective reactions, such as, e.g., asymmetric hydrogenations, enantioselective hydrogen displacements in prochiral allylic systems and the like, as well as complexes of the compounds of formula I with Group VIII metals.

Abstract: A process for the resolution of racemic diphosphine oxides into the optically active antipodes by reacting the racemate with a resolving agent comprising using a carbamate or thiocarbamate of an optically active .alpha.-hydroxycarboxylic acid or .alpha.-aminocarboxylic acid as the resolving agent.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a flexible electric cable constituted by a polymer-coated stranded conductor made up of fine strands of aluminum or aluminum alloy having a diameter of less than 0.5 mm, or constituted by one or more insulated conductors surrounded by an electric screen itself constituted by fine strands of aluminum or aluminum alloy having a diameter of less than 0.5 mm and wrapped or braided about the conductor(s). The screen is surrounded by at least one insulating layer of polymer material, wherein the operation of stranding together the fine strands forming the conductor or of wrapping or braiding the strands surrounding the insulated conductor(s) and forming the electric screen is performed by using fine strands which are not annealed or which are only partially annealed, with the stranded conductor or the wrapped or braided electric screen then being covered with insulation and subjected to at least one final annealing operation.