Abstract: A vital signal detecting apparatus is composed of sensors for detecting pulse waves, an A/D converter for converting analog signals, corresponding to the pulse waves and derived from the sensors, into digital signals, a separation matrix calculation means, and a signal separation calculation means. The separation matrix calculation means calculates a separation matrix for separating an outer disturbance caused by body movement from the pulse waves. The signal separation calculation means divides the digital signals converted by the A/D converter into a vital signal containing no outer disturbance and a body movement signal indicating the outer disturbance by using the separation matrix.

Abstract: Provided are a heat-resistant glass fiber which has excellent heat resistance, which is also easy to spin and less expensive and which is suitable as an acoustic material for use in an automobile muffler, and a process for the production thereof. The heat-resistant glass fiber has a composition comprising, substantially by weight %, 56 to 58.5% of SiO2, 12 to 17% of Al2O3, 16 to 27% of CaO, 1 to 9% of MgO, 0 to 1% of Na2O and 0 to 1% of K2O as the entirety of the fiber and containing neither B2O3 nor F2, and has a surface layer portion made of a silicic glass having an SiO2 content of at least 90% by weight. The process comprises treating the surface of the above fiber having the above composition with a mineral acid, to produce the heat-resistant glass fiber.

Abstract: A low-dielectric-constant glass fiber having a glass composition comprising, by % by weight, 45 to 60% of SiO2, 8 to 20% of Al2O3, 15 to 30% of B2O3, 0 to 5% of MgO, 5%, exclusive of 5%, to 12% of CaO, 0 to 1.0% of Li2O+Na2O+K2O, 0.5 to 5% of TiO2 and 0 to 2% of F2 is suitable for use for reinforcing a high-density printed wiring board required to have a low dielectric tangent and its peripheral members.

Abstract: The present invention relates to photoconductors which exhibit excellent electrical properties which are not appreciably affected by environmental changes or by repeated use. Having excellent durability during repeated printing, these photoconductors can be used to obtain large quantities of high-quality output images.The photoconductor according to the invention includes a conductive substrate and a photoconductive film on the conductive substrate. The photoconductive film includes a plurality of charge generation and transport layers, wherein each layer contains a phthalocyanine compound described in the specification by chemical formula (I) as a charge generation agent and a charge transport agent dispersed or dissolved into a binder. The concentration of the charge generation agent in an upper layer is higher than in a lower layer.

Abstract: A compact magnetic detection device with a high sensitivity. The device includes a single bias magnet producing a magnetic field to a gear having a magnetic substance, and a magnetoresistive effect element. The element is arranged so as to oppose the bias magnet and adjoin a pole face of the magnet on the gear's side. Further, the element is arranged in a plane substantially perpendicular to a moving direction of the gear, for producing resistance change caused by changes of magnetic field in response to the movement of the gear. Thus, the bias magnetic field existing in the moving direction of the gear is modulated to the direction facing the gear. Since a magnitude of modulation against the bias magnetic field amounts to a maximum in the vicinity of the pole face of the bias magnet on the gear's side, it is possible to realize the high sensitivity and furthermore, the magnetic detection device can be miniaturized by use of the single magnet.

Abstract: A signal extraction system for extracting one or more signal components from an input signal including a plurality of signal components. This system is equipped with a neural network arithmetic section designed to process information through the use of a recurrent neural network. The neural network arithmetic section extracts one or more signal components, for example, a speech signal component and a noise signal component from an input signal including a plurality of signal components such as a speech and noises and outputs the extracted signal components. Owing to the presence of this neural network arithmetic section, the signal extraction becomes possible with a high accuracy.

Abstract: The low-dielectric-constant glass fiber of the present invention contains by weight, as a glass composition, 50 to 60% of SiO.sub.2, 10 to 20% of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, 20 to 30% of B.sub.2 O.sub.3, 0 to 5% of CaO, 0 to 4% of MgO, 0 to 0.5% of Li.sub.2 O+Na.sub.2 O+K.sub.2 O and 0.5 to 5% of TiO.sub.2, and is preferably used as glass for printed wiring boards.

Abstract: A titanyloxyphthalocyanine crystal to be used as a charge generation material for an electrophotographic photoreceptor, having a maximum diffraction intensity observed at Bragg angle (2 .theta.) of 9.6.degree..+-.0.2.degree. and clear peaks of diffraction intensity observed at 7.22.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 9.60.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 11.60.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 13.40.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 14.88.degree..+-.0.2.degree.,18.34.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 23.62.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 24.14.degree..+-.0.2.degree., and 27.32.degree..+-.0.2.degree., respectively, in an X-ray diffraction spectrum obtained by performing an x-ray diffraction method using CuK.alpha. as a source of radiation. A method for preparing the crystal includes dispersing a predetermined amount of amorphous titanyloxyphthalocyanine in an aqueous solution in which ionic substances are dissolved, under mechanical force at a temperature of under 50.degree. C.

Abstract: Phthalonitrile, an alkali metal or an alkali metal compound, and a hydrogen donor compound are heated in an organic solvent to synthesize a partially hydrogenated alkali metal phthalocyanine, which is then brought into contact with a dealkalizing agent to effect substitution with hydrogen of the partially hydrogenated alkali metal phthalocyanine to thereby obtain high-purity metal-free phthalocyanine. FX-type metal-free phthalocyanine as obtained according to the foregoing procedure may be used as a charge-generating substance to produce an electrophotographic photoconductor of high image quality which is highly sensitive to near infrared rays.

Abstract: To provide a tire pressure estimating system which is capable of estimating tire pressure based on a signal representing the rotational speed of a vehicle wheel via a small amount of processing by using low-capacity memory, a wheel speed sensor is provided for each wheel of a vehicle. A pulse signal output by the wheel speed sensor is supplied to a signal processor. In the signal processor, the rotational speed of each vehicle wheel is found from the pulse signal. The signal processor adopts a second-order linear prediction model for the rotational speed of the vehicle wheel and vibration of the tire using parameters identified from values of the rotational speed. A resonance frequency is then found from the identified parameters. Finally, the tire pressure is estimated from a linear relationship between the pressure and the resonance frequency.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor includes a conductive substrate and a photosensitive layer including a charge generation material and a charge transport material. The charge generation material is a titanyloxyphthalocyanine crystal having a maximum diffraction intensity observed at Bragg angle (2.theta.) of 9.6.degree..+-.0.2.degree. and clear peaks of diffraction intensity observed at 7.22.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 9.60.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 11.60.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 13.40.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 14.88.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 18.34.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 23.62.degree..+-.0.2.degree., 24.14.degree..+-.0.2.degree., and 27.32.degree..+-.0.2.degree., respectively, in a X-ray diffraction spectrum obtained by performing a X-ray diffraction method using CuK.alpha. as a source of radiation, and having a lattice constant of:a=16.3058 .ANG., b=23.078 .ANG., and c=8.7115 .ANG.,.alpha.=101.352.degree., .beta.=23.078.degree., and .gamma.=117.530.degree. ,with an allowable error of .+-.1%.

Abstract: An object of the present invention is to determine the optimal number of neurons in the hidden layers of a feed-forward neural network. The number of the neurons in the hidden layers corresponds to the number of the independent variables of a linear question and the minimum number of the variables required for solving a linear question can be obtained from the rank value in the matrix theory. Therefore, the rank value corresponds to the minimum number of the neurons required for the hidden layers. Accordingly, when the relation between the neural network constructed and trained is memorized in matrix and the rank value is obtained from this matrix, if the number of the neurons in use is larger than the rank value, as it means that redundant neurons exist which correspond to dependent variables, such redundant neurons can be eliminated. In many cases, due to errors in calculation, the diagonal elements of the matrix are not reduced to 0 and consequently the rank value can not be determined.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoconductor, includes metal-free phthalocyanine as a charge-generating substance, wherein the X-ray diffraction spectrum of said metal-free phthalocyanine as measured using CuK.alpha. as a radiation source includes intense diffraction peaks at Bragg angles (2.theta..+-.0.2.degree.) of 7.5.degree., 9.0.degree., 16.6.degree., 17.2.degree., 21.5.degree., 22.2.degree., 23.8.degree., and 28.5.degree., and wherein the infrared absorption spectrum of said metal-free phthalocyanine includes four absorption bands with the maximum absorption intensity at a wavenumber of 716 cm.sup.-1 between a wavenumber of 700 cm.sup.-1 and a wavenumber of 760 cm.sup.-1 and a characteristic absorption band at a wavenumber of 3,291.+-.2 cm.sup.-1.

Abstract: Phthalonitrile, an alkali metal or an alkali metal compound, and a hydrogen donor compound are heated in an organic solvent to synthesize a partially hydrogenated alkali metal phthalocyanine, which is then brought into contact with a dealkalizing agent to effect substitution with hydrogen of the partially hydrogenated alkali metal phthalocyanine to thereby obtain high-purity metal-free phthalocyanine. FX-type metal-free phthalocyanine as obtained according to the foregoing procedure may be used as a charge-generating substance to produce an electrophotographic photoconductor of high image quality which is highly sensitive to near infrared rays.

Abstract: The present invention provides an improved lock device in which a slider is movable in either a locking direction or a releasing direction only when the amounts of projections of plural tumblers mounted on the slider correspond to the dimensions of plural holes punched in a lock card. When the lock card is slidingly inserted into a card groove under the release condition, the lock card successively presses a stopper disposed on the insertion side and the plural tumblers into tumbler chambers in the slider and then hits against a stopper disposed on the exit side, which projects into an adjustment groove. Here tapered tips of the tumblers are fitted into and engaged with the corresponding holes formed in the lock card, and engagement projections on the tumblers are all located in a sliding groove. The slider is thus movable together with the lock card.

Abstract: A vaccine preparation comprising in combination a vaccine and a toxin or subunit thereof as an effective component. The toxin is preferably a bacterial toxin, e.g. cholera toxin, staphylococcal .alpha.-hemolysin, staphylococcal .delta.-hemolysin, vibrio thermostable direct hemolysin, pertussis toxin or E. coli heat-labile toxin. The toxin can be a B subunit or a part of a B subunit of a toxin. The vaccine can be influenza vaccine, pertussis vaccine, Japanese encephalitis vaccine, mixed vaccine of pertussis, diphtheria and tetanus toxoid, hepatitis B vaccine, rota vaccine, measles vaccine, rubella vaccine, mumps vaccine, combined vaccine of measles, rubella and mumps, or mycoplasma vaccine. The ratio of vaccine to toxin or subunit thereof is 1:0.0001-1:10,000 (w/v). The vaccine can be intranasal vaccine, or can be in injectable form, spray form or oral administration form.

Abstract: An accurate alignment system for positioning at a required position an object to be worked which has on its surface straight-line areas whose image density changes relatively abruptly at their both side edges.

Abstract: An electrophotographic photoreceptor which has excellent electrophotographic characteristics even when exposed to high-temperature and high-humidity conditions is formed from a phthalocyanine which has been treated with an acrylic resin, the acrylic resin having been obtained by polymerization of not less than 15 mole % of a monomer represented by the general formula, ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently represent a hydrogen atom or an alkyl, aryl or cycloalkyl group, or R.sub.1 and R.sub.2, taken together, may form a heterocyclic-ring containing a nitrogen atom, R.sub.3 represents a hydrogen atom or methyl group, and n represents an integer of 1 or more, or an acid salt of the monomer.

Abstract: A photoconductive material comprising a phthalocyanine and a phthalocyanine derivative in which the phthalocyanine molecule has benzene nuclei substituted with at least one member selected from nitro and cyano groups, and an electrophotographic plate comprising a photoconductive layer of the photoconductive material dispersed in a binder resin.

Abstract: A blast furnace hearth, or at least its internal surface layer, is built of carbon bricks whose pores have been reduced in size by an Si--N--O composition formed in them.