Abstract: Skin external agent compositions and drugs characterized by containing fumaric acid diester derivatives represented by following general formula (1), wherein R1 represents C1-4 alkylene; R2 and R3 represent each liner or branched C1-8 alkyl; and n is an integer of 2 to 5; which provide epidermal barrier function potentiating agents and skin external agent compositions having a high safety, quickly relieving epidermal permeation barrier function failures and having an effect of maintaining the skin in a cosmetologically healthy state; agents to be used together with HB-EFG expression inducing agents accelerating epidermal turnover, amphiregulin expression inhibitors regulating excessive epidermal proliferation, and retinoic acid or its derivative preventing skin chapping caused by retinoic acid or its derivative; and skin aging relieving agents capable of ameliorating depression in the skin metabolism and thinning in association with aging.

Abstract: A composite web including an elastically stretchable web and an inelastically stretchable web bonded together is stretched on a course defined between at least two nip roll pairs to obtain an elastically stretchable composite sheet. The composite web is brought into contact with a peripheral surface of at least one roll of each nip roll pair over an area of the peripheral surface defined by a quadrant of this roll's circular cross section.

Abstract: A cold drawing apparatus is interposed in a system for making a fibrous web and has an inlet for a plurality of melt spun continuous filaments, an outlet for the filaments and a pair of side walls extending between said in- and outlets and opposed to and spaced from each other in a transverse direction to define a passage therebetween so that the filaments are cooled and drawn as the filaments pass through the passage defined between the opposed side walls wherein at least one of the side walls is formed with a plurality of crests at predetermined intervals and a plurality of troughs each extending between each pair of the adjacent crests.

Abstract: An elastically stretchable nonwoven fabric including thermoplastic elastomer filaments; the filaments being heat-sealed and/or mechanically intertwined together to form the nonwoven fabric that has crimped regions and non-crimped regions wherein each of the crimped regions has fine crimps in the rate of 50/cm or higher.

Abstract: When a tape cassette is mounted, a tape drive apparatus judges whether the tape cassette is of a first mode (normal mode) or a second mode (multi-partition mode) based on one or both of management information that is read out from the magnetic tape and management information that is read out from a memory (MIC) incorporated in the tape cassette. The tape drive apparatus then an performs an operation setting in accordance with the mode thus judged.

Abstract: A composite web including an elastically stretchable web and an inelastically stretchable web bonded together is stretched on a course defined between at least two nip roll pairs to obtain an elastically stretchable composite sheet. The composite web is brought into contact with a peripheral surface of at least one roll of each nip roll pair over an area of the peripheral surface defined by a quadrant of this roll's circular cross section.

Abstract: A topsheet for a disposable wearing article is formed with a plurality of fine openings each having an area of about 0.16-5 mm2 and a pant of the peripheral edge of each opening us protuberated upward from upper surface of the topsheet. The topsheet is thereby improved so that body fluids can be rapidly absorbed and stuffiness as well as eruption of the wearer's skin can be reliably avoided.

Abstract: An apparatus for making a nonwoven fabric including, between spinning nozzles and a top surface of an air-permeable endless belt running in one direction, air blow means spaced apart from the nozzles, a duct directly connected to the air blow means and a hood directly connected to the duct so as to cover the vicinity of the top surface of the endless belt so that the interior of the hood may be subjected to a suction effect exerted through the endless belt from below the endless belt.

Abstract: A mixed powder for powder metallurgy process, comprises prealloy type steel mother powder containing alloy components in a range of 1.5 to 4, alloyed micro powder and Ni powder. A preparation method of iron base sintered compact by blending this mixed powder with graphite powder, compressed powder molding the same and sintering at 1050 to 1250° C., and an iron base sintered compact of high tensile strength and fatigue strength obtained by this preparation method.

Abstract: A digital data recording method is provided where the efficiency of use of the recording medium storage area for recording data in a sequence is increased and a desired data can be retrieved at a higher speed. When a record n in an entity is terminated at the trailing end of a group N, a record n+1 following the record n is recorded in a group N+1. When a record n extends up to the group N+1, a header H2′ attributed to the group N and a front part of the record n as well as the preceding records 1 to n−1 are designated as another entity E2′. The remaining or rear part of the record n is designated as an entity E3′ and recorded in the group N+1 as added with a header H3′. Then, the record n+1 is designated as an entity E4 and recorded in the group N+1 as added with a header H4.

Abstract: As described above, according to the present invention, original data that is input as records is compressed. The compressed data is temporarily stored in the buffer memory and then recorded on the magnetic tape. When data is recorded, it is determined whether or not the buffer memory overflows. When the determined result represents that the buffer memory overflows, the value of the counter is dynamically changed. Thus, the buffer memory can be prevented from overflowing. The compressed data is recorded as entities and recorded to each group. The BAT flag that represents the type of the entity is added. When data is reproduced, it is determined whether the last entity of the current group is an entity that continues to the next group or an entity that is completed in the current group. When the last entity continues to the next group, the next group is accessed. When the last entity is completed in the current group, no further accessing operation is performed.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to provide a melanogenesis inhibitor and a skin cosmetic composition, which are superior in the effect of preventing pigmentation due to inflammation by selectively inhibiting stimulation of histamine to melanocytes. The object is accomplished by containing a histamine H2 receptor antagonist itself, cable of selectively blocking histamine H2 receptors, or simultaneously containing the histamine H2 receptor antagonist and at least one of histamine release inhibitors and histamine H3 receptor agonists.

Abstract: A pressing portion is formed at one end portion of a horizontal wall portion of a cloth feeding unit, a bed portion is installed with a moving member pressed by the pressing portion and a slide member pressed to move by the moving member, a pivoting lever is pivoted by moving the slide member, a switch lever is switched to a drop position by the pivoting lever and a follower of the switch lever is switched to a position in correspondence with an escape driving cam. At such a time, a contact portion of the moving member is exposed to outside of a machine cover and can be visually observed and an operating portion of the slide member can be observed visually by being exposed to the outside via a notched window.

Abstract: A cytokine activity enhancer comprising an ethanolamine derivative of the following general formula (I) or a salt thereof, or comprising it along with cytokine or a cytokine production promoter; and also a medicine for diseases with lowered cytokine activity, comprising, as the active ingredient, the cytokine activity enhancer: ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 is H, --CH.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 CH(CH.sub.3)OH or --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 OH; R.sub.2 is H, --CH.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 or --COOH; and R.sub.3 is H, --CH.sub.3, --CH.sub.2 CH.sub.3 or --CH.sub.2 NH.sub.2.

Abstract: Antihypertensive agents containing as its active ingredient the 4-amino-6-hydroxypyrazolo ?3,4-d!pyrimidine(AHPP) or its derivatives represented by the general formula (I) below. ##STR1## where R is hydrogen atom, alkyl group or aryl group.AHPP can be chemically synthesized by a reaction of 3-amino-4-cyanopyrazole and urea.The antihypertensive agents of the present invention show a mild and reliable blood pressure lowering activity, and have a different mode of action from currently available antihypertensive agents.

Abstract: A flexible, non-porous tube characterized by the fact that the void spaces present in the luminal surface of a substrate tube of porous polytetrafluoroethylene are filled with a silicone or fluorosilicone rubber, that a continuous coating of said silicone or fluorosilicone rubber is not present on the inner surface of said tube, and that the inner surface of said tube incorporates surfaces of both the polytetrafluoroethylene and the silicone or fluorosilicone rubber. The tube has excellent lubricity, resistance to contamination, resistance to chemicals, and has exceptional tube flexing properties. The flexible tube may be employed, for example, as a tube for removal of gas destructively tested by a gas sensor, as a tube for transporting various liquids, and particularly as a tube in medical applications, such as a forceps channel tube, an endoscope channel tube, a bodily fluid transport tube, catheter tube, or the like. A method of making the tube is also described.

Abstract: A steering torque detecting apparatus capable of being simplified in structure and readily assembled. Potentiometers each are actuated in association with the movement of a cable wire to generate an output signal. Steering control is carried out depending upon the output signal.