Abstract: A process for producing vitamin B.sub.12 by the fermentation technique which comprises cultivating a vitamin B.sub.12 -producing microorganism belonging to the genus Propionibacterium in a culture medium containing a carbon source and a nitrogen source, and collecting vitamin B.sub.12 accumulated in the cells of the microorganism; characterized in that(1) the cultivation is carried out while adding an alkali at suitable times to the cultivation system so that during the cultivation, the cultivation system is maintained at a pH in the range of about 5 to about 7.5, and(2) the cultivation is carried out while adding a carbon source portionwise to the cultivation system nearly at the same time as the addition of the alkali,(3) provided that when a vitamin B.sub.12 -producing microorganism having resistance to propionic acid is used as the microorganism, the portionwise addition of the carbon source in (2) can be omitted. Also disclosed are propionic acid-resistant, vitamin B.sub.

Abstract: A magnetic display panel having a transparent or translucent front substrate and a rear substrate bonded thereto by an adhesive with a dispersing liquid confining space formed between the substrates, preferably in the form of multiple cells. The dispersing liquid, composed of a fine particulate thickener, fine magnetic particles, a colorant and a dispersing medium, has a yield value of at least 5 dyne/cm.sup.2. A clear, long-lasting image is recordable by tracing a permanent magnet upon the face of the first substrate.

Abstract: Fine powder of a metal is made by vaporizing the metal in a vaporization chamber, mixing the metallic vapor with an inert carrier gas, and then adiabatically expanding the mixture through a nozzle, which preferably is a convergent-divergent nozzle. A jet flow from the nozzle is very rapidly cooled by this adiabatic expansion, which quickly condenses the metal vapor in the jet flow into very fine particles. Optionally the jet flow is directed against a metal powder collecting means, which may be a collection plate, but preferably is a bath of oil which entrains the particles and keeps them from agglomerating together by partially neutralizing their surface activity. Thus fine metal powder with particle diameters of the order of a few hundreds of angstroms can be economically produced.

Abstract: Fine powder of an alloy of two or more metals is made by vaporizing each of these metals in its own vaporization chamber, mixing each of the metallic vapors with an inert carrier gas, and then adiabatically expanding each of the mixture gases through its own nozzle, which preferably is a convergent-divergent nozzle. Jet flows from the nozzles are collided together, after having been very rapidly cooled by this adiabatic expansion, and thereby the metal vapors in the jet flows are quickly condensed into very fine alloy particles. Optionally the combined flows from the jets are directed against an alloy powder collecting means, which may be a collection plate, but preferably is a bath of oil which entrains the alloy particles and keeps them from agglomerating together by partially neutralizing their surface activity. Thus fine alloy powder with particle diameters of the order of a few hundreds of angstroms can be economically produced.

Abstract: A composite material made of a matrix of a first metal and reinforcing first particles with average particle diameter less than or equal to about ten microns dispersed in the first metal matrix, with the reinforcing first particles each having a composite structure, being made up of a plurality of fine second particles of a ceramic made by reacting together a second metal and a gas and being combined with one another by a matrix of a third metal.

Abstract: A transfer apparatus comprises a projection device operable with a photomask having a semiconductor circuit pattern therein and includes a projection lens for projecting the image of the photomask to a photosensitive member sensitive to the image of the photomask projected by the projection lens. The apparatus further includes an illuminating device for illuminating the photomask, a memory circuit for storing the time characteristic .DELTA.l of a focus error occurring in the projection lens due to the exposure light from the photomask having passed through the projection lens, a history detector for detecting the illuminating history to/t of the illuminating device, a transmission signal forming device for forming a transmission signal regarding the transmission factor .tau.

Abstract: A method for selective dealkylation of 1,4-dialkylbenzene comprising selectively dealkylating a 1,4-dialkylbenzene in a dialkylbenzene mixture using as a catalyst crystalline zeolite having a silica/alumina ratio of at least 12 and a constrained index of 1 to 12 which is modified with an oxide of a metal or mettaloid, said crystalline zeolite being one ion-exchanged with a lithium ion.

Abstract: A chopper control apparatus comprises a chopper connected between a d.c. power supply source and a load, and a computer for performing an arithmetic operation for controlling the duty factor of the chopper. The computer responds to a clock signal supplied thereto at a predetermined period and arithmetically determines a desired duty factor of the chopper for every period. A turn-on signal generated in synchronism with the clock signal and a turn-off signal generated with a delay of period of time based on the results of the arithmetic operation are sequentially supplied to the chopper. The conducting state of the chopper is detected and the result of the detection is fetched by the computer with a predetermined time delay. The computer executes a program for determining presence or absence of a commutation failure on the basis of the result of the conducting state detection in response to the clock signal serving as an interrupt request signal.

Abstract: In a divisional printing apparatus wherein the pattern of a mask is reduced and projected for printing onto a wafer and the mask and the wafer are moved relative to each other at each shot so that the exposed areas thereof do not overlap each other, and whereby the same pattern as that for collective printing is printed onto the effective area of the wafer by a plurality of shots, a shot arranging method in which, in the case of a so-called multichip shot in which a plurality of chips are exposed at a time at each shot, the special chip area of the wafer is not exposed, but the wafer is effectively exposed so that the creation of unusable chips is minimized.

Abstract: In a mask aligner, the actual element pattern of a mask is transferred onto a resist applied to the surface of a wafer, while the alignment pattern of the mask is not transferred onto said resist. That is, the line width of the alignment pattern of the mask is a line width which is not transferred to the wafer. If the pattern of the mask is formed so that the line width of the alignment pattern is thin as compared with that of the actual element pattern, the exposure amount in the alignment pattern portion on the resist applied to the surface of the wafer becomes excessive due to the diffraction phenomenon and thus, the alignment pattern of the mask is not transferred onto the wafer.

Abstract: An anti-inflammatory agent comprising as an active component an inhibitor specifically inhibiting a thiol protease, which is obtained from human urine by extraction and purification. This agent has an action of inhibiting a disease caused by a thiol protease. This anti-inflammatory agent is prepared by a process in which a thiol protease inhibitor is extracted and purified from human urine by adopting in combination at least two treatments selected from a treatment with a molecular filter, a treatment with an ion exchanger, a treatment with an adsorber and an affinity chromatographic treatment.

Abstract: A dextranase containing-oral composition is made more stable and has a good feeling to use by incorporating therein carvone and l-menthol together at a weight ratio of 1:9 to 8:2, preferably in a combined amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight of the composition. The composition may be a dentifrice composition.

Abstract: A method of cooling a rod delivered successively from a hot rolling mill while transferring it. The method involves coiling the rod into rings, forming the rings into a densely packed coil in which the centers of the rings are slightly offse, conveying the densely packed coil through an enclosed space, and progressively cooling the coil while keeping the temperature differences within the cross-section of the coil perpendicular to the length thereof at a minimum. This is done by adjusting the gaseous heat transfer medium within the enclosed space to keep the temperature of the external surface of said cross-section of the coil substantially uniform, during the course of conveying the coil, and vertically dropping the rings of the coil at least once for accelerating the release of heat from the core portions of the densely packed part of the coil along each edge of the coil.

Abstract: An oral composition containing tranexamic acid in which carvone is blended in an amount of 0.1 to 5% by weight and l-menthol may preferably be blended in an amount of 0.03 to 10% by weight. Carvone improves the bitterness inherent to the tranexamic acid-containing oral composition. The composition may preferably contain a mixed humectant of sorbitol and glycerin at a weight ratio of 1:9 to 6:4 and a binder, at least 60% by weight of the binder being an alkali metal salt of carboxymethyl cellulose.

Abstract: A mill roll stand comprises a stationary frame fixed to the floor, a pair of movable frames so attached to the fixed frame as to move freely in the direction of width of the fixed frame, arms having one end thereof pivotally supported by the movable frames and the other end fitted with a member for engagement with a paper roll and a driving device attached to the movable frames respectively for swinging of the arms respectively.

Abstract: In a process for producing a nitrile compound from a corresponding aldehyde exhibited by the general formula (I) and a hydroxylamine inorganic acid saltR.sup.1 CHO (I)or from an aldoxime exhibited by the general formula (II),R.sup.2 CH.dbd.NOH (II)(in the general formulas shown hereinabove, R.sup.1 represents an aryl group having 6 to 9 carbon atoms and R.sup.2 represents an alkyl or alkenyl group having 1 to 9 carbon atoms or an aryl group having 6 to 9 carbon atoms), a process, wherein water produced in the reaction is azeotropically distilled out of the reaction system with the aid of a solvent which makes an azeotropic mixture with water.The nitrile compound is useful as an important intermediate for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals or pesticides.

Abstract: A pallet is made of a substantially rectangular corrugated fiberboard, so that it has a loading surface region, two end cleats extended from two edges of the loading surface region which are in parallel with the longitudinal axis of the corrugated fiberboard, and at least one V-shaped supporting beam formed at each end of the lower surface of the loading surface region. A bottomless corrugated fiberboard container is placed on the pallet in such a manner that the lower end portion of the container is between the end cleats. The lower end portion of the container is bonded to the end cleats, or is detachably secured to the end cleat, so as to form a packaging box wherein a separable pallet forms the bottom of the box.

Abstract: The antimony in an antimony-containing copper electrolyte is removed by contacting the antimony-containing copper electrolyte with activated carbon at between room temperature and 60.degree. C.

Abstract: Disclosed is an illumination-type pushbutton switch construction including an operation section slidably arranged in a switch housing and a switch operating section for actuating a switch section in cooperation with the operation section, wherein the operation section and the switch operating section are improved. The improved operation section includes a pushbutton, a switch actuating member detachably fitted with respect to the pushbutton and a supporting frame detachably attached to the switch actuating member, the supporting frame having a holding portion for holding a light emitting element. The improved switch operating section includes an actuating plate disposed so as to be slidable along the inner surface of the switch housing, the actuating plate being detachably attached to the switch actuating member, to thereby allow the pushbutton, switch actuating member, supporting frame and actuating plate to be connected in series and detachable from one another so as to be integrally movable.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for recording a data signal and for playing it back at a variable speed ratio including a recording unit, a playback unit and a speed control unit. A modulated carrier wave is first recorded and subsequently played back at a different speed from the recorded speed. A recording speed control signal controls the recording speed through the speed control unit, and a part of the speed control signal is recorded simultaneously with a data signal from a miniature test model on a record medium, such as a magnetic tape, by a write unit, such as a recording head, after being operated on by the data signal. The playback speed is controlled by a playback speed control signal at a variable speed ratio, so that it is possible to achieve any speed ratio, such as .sqroot.10, etc., between the recording speed and the playback speed.