Abstract: A vehicle body lower part structure includes: a floor panel; and a vehicle body frame member including a frame body, an inner side wall, a joint flange projecting inward in a vehicle width direction from an inner surface of the inner side wall in the vehicle width direction, and having a joining surface on which an end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction is stacked and to which the end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction is joined, and a recess provided to the frame body, recessed outward in the vehicle width direction from the inner surface of the inner side wall in the vehicle width direction, and having a surface that is continuous and flush with the joining surface of the joint flange.

Abstract: A vehicle body lower part structure includes: a floor panel; and a vehicle body frame member including a frame body, an inner side wall, a joint flange projecting inward in a vehicle width direction from an inner surface of the inner side wall in the vehicle width direction, and having a joining surface on which an end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction is stacked and to which the end of the floor panel in the vehicle width direction is joined, and a recess provided to the frame body, recessed outward in the vehicle width direction from the inner surface of the inner side wall in the vehicle width direction, and having a surface that is continuous and flush with the joining surface of the joint flange.

Abstract: Heat and acid-stable alpha-amylase enzymes having the following characteristics: (1) capable of retaining at least about 70% of their initial activity when held at 90.degree. C. and at a pH of 6.0 for 10 minutes in the absence of calcium ion; (2) capable of retaining at least about 50% of their initial activity when held at 90.degree. C. at a pH of 6.0 for 60 minutes in the absence of added calcium ion; and/or (3) capable of retaining at least about 50% of their initial activity at a temperature of 80.degree. C. and at a pH of 4.5 in the presence of 5 mM calcium ion for 10 minutes. The preferred alpha-amylases are prepared by culturing a strain of a Bacillus stearothermophilus microorganism in a suitable culture medium. The novel alpha-amylases are useful in hydrolyzing and/or liquefying starch and due to their stability at low pH values they can be used in conjunction with other acid stable amylases such as gluco-amylase in either a soluble or an immobilized form.