Abstract: Herein disclosed a communications system according to the present invention comprising: a wireless microphone transmission apparatus for transmitting a radio microphone signal on a predetermined wireless microphone frequency channel carrying a voice signal and a tone signal; and a wireless receiving apparatus for receiving the radio microphone signal on the predetermined wireless microphone frequency channel carrying the voice signal and the tone signal transmitted by the wireless microphone transmission apparatus. The wireless microphone transmission apparatus according to the present invention includes a data generating section for judging the type of data information, and generating a data string in response to the type of, and on the basis of the data information, and a tone signal generating section for generating a tone signal on the basis of the data string generated by the data generating section 22, thereby increasing the efficiency of the communications system.

Abstract: Method of diagnosing a booster of a braking system including a brake operating member operated with a brake operating force, a master cylinder for producing a hydraulic pressure on the basis of an input force received from the booster as a result of boosting of the brake operating force by said booster, and a wheel brake cylinder which is activated by the hydraulic pressure produced by the master cylinder, to brake a vehicle wheel, wherein the booster is determined to be abnormal if the detected input and output of the booster do not meet a predetermined nominal relationship therebetween. Also disclosed is a diagnosing device capable of practicing the method.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method for identifying a thermostable polymerase having altered fidelity. The method consists of generating a random population of polymerase mutants by mutating at least one amino acid residue of a thermostable polymerase and screening the population for one or more active polymerase mutants by genetic selection. For example, the invention provides a method for identifying a thermostable polymerase having altered fidelity by mutating at least one amino acid residue in an active site O-helix of a thermostable polymerase. The invention also provides thermostable polymerases and nucleic acids encoding thermostable polymerases having altered fidelity, for example, high fidelity polymerases and low fidelity polymerases. The invention additionally provides a method for identifying one or more mutations in a gene by amplifying the gene with a high fidelity polymerase.

Abstract: A machine tool includes a base, a traveling plate to which a tool is to be attached, plural rods, and plural drive mechanisms fixed to the base. Each of the drive mechanisms is provided with a slide table movable on the drive mechanism and with an actuator for moving the slide table. One end of each of the rods is swingably connected to the corresponding slide tables through a first joint and the other end of each of the rods is swingably connected to the traveling plate through a second joint. Each of the first and the second joints include two rolling elements, each of which is rotatably supported by a rolling bearing to swing the rod.As the rolling elements are supported by the rolling bearings without a clearance, the positioning accuracy of the machine tool is enhanced.

Abstract: The present invention relates a method for reactivating or regenerating the methane oxidizability of a methane-utilizing bacteria which have partly or wholly lost its methane oxidizability by culturing said methane-utilizing bacteria in a specified condition, and further relates to a method for continuous production of oxides by bringing a methane-utilizing bacteria in contact with alkanes, alkenes or cyclic compounds.

Abstract: A position control device includes a fluid-operated directional control valve for controlling the position of the piston of a cylinder assembly under fluid pressure in response to a control signal from an electronic controller. The position of the piston is predicted based on the control signal. A position detector detects when the piston has actually reached a predetermined position. When it is detected that the piston has actually reached the predetermined position, the predicted position of the piston is corrected. The electronic controller applies a control signal to the directional control valve so that the predicted position as corrected will be equalized to a target position for the piston. The predetermined position is a substantially intermediate position of the stroke of the piston. The directional control valve comprises a solenoid-controlled valve for controlling the flow rate of the fluid depending on the magnitude of a current supplied to the solenoid-operated valve.

Abstract: Sorbic acid can be prepared by the activity of a specific microorganism on 2,4-hexadienal. This method can be performed under mild conditions and, different from organo-chemical methods, is advantageous because no by-products are formed.

Abstract: A steering apparatus for use in a motor vehicle whereby the actual steering angle of a vehicle wheel is controlled to be equal to a target steering angle. The steering apparatus includes a steering mechanism for regulating a steering angle of the vehicle wheel in accordance with an input signal thereto, a device for determining a target steering angle of the wheel in accordance with the vehicle travelling state, a device for obtaining the difference (X1) between the determined target steering angle and the actual steering angle of the wheel, and a device for calculating a steering angular velocity (X2) on the basis of the actual steering angle. A control device calculates at least two switching functions (L1), (L2) on the basis of the obtained difference (X1) and the calculated steering angular velocity (X2) for obtaining a switching line on the basis of the calculated switching functions (L1), (L2).