Abstract: A vertically extensible and retractible lens arm for a camera includes a plurality of hollow telescoping sections that slide one within another. A lens for taking a picture is connected to a top telescoping section. Each telescoping section except the top one has a generally semicircular hollow space that becomes narrower toward a bottom of the telescoping section and is adapted to receive the lens therein when the lens arm is retracted. The top telescoping section can be provided with only a projecting part at the outside of the lower portion of each of opposite side walls whereas each telescoping section except the top one can be provided both with a notch at the inside of the upper portion of each of opposite side walls and with a projecting part at the outside of the lower portion of each of the opposite side walls.

Abstract: A shovel keeping mechanism in an ice making machine provided with an ice storage bin placed under an ice making mechanism to store ice cubes dropped therefrom. The shovel keeping mechanism is composed of a pair of parallel support rail portions provided on the bottom surface of a component member located at a lowermost portion of the ice making mechanism and extended in a fore-and-aft direction of the ice storage bin, and a shovel holder detachably assembled with the parallel support rail portions to retain an ice shovel inserted therein from the front of the ice storage bin.

Abstract: A mutant strain having an ability to produce L-glutamic acid in the absence of any biotin action-suppressing agent in a medium containing an excessive amount of biotin is obtained by giving temperature sensitivity with respect to a biotin action-suppressing agent to a coryneform L-glutamic acid-producing bacterium. This strain is cultivated in a liquid medium to produce and accumulate L-glutamic acid in the medium. A mutant strain having an ability to produce L-lysine and L-glutamic acid in the absence of any biotin action-suppressing agent in a medium containing an excessive amount of biotin is obtained by giving temperature sensitivity with respect to a biotin action-suppressing agent and giving L-lysine productivity to a coryneform L-glutamic acid-producing bacterium. This strain is cultivated in a liquid medium to simultaneously produce and accumulate L-lysine and L-glutamic acid in the medium.

Abstract: A process for producing L-glutamic acid by fermentation is disclosed, which process comprises culturing aerobically in a culture medium a mutant of the genus Brevibacterium or Corynebacterium which has an increased superoxide dismutase activity and is capable of producing L-glutamic acid in the culture medium and recovering the L-glutamic acid. The yield of L-glutamic acid can be increased by using the aforementioned mutants.