Abstract: A transmission line-monitoring apparatus which is able to detect the occurrence of a short circuit even when a line has a large resistance and also to speedily disconnect the short-circuited transmission line upon detection of a short circuit. When a short circuit occurs between branched transmission lines on the output side of the apparatus, a short-circuit detection circuit contained in the transmission-line monitoring apparatus detects this short circuit so as to send a short-circuit detection signal to a line-disconnecting control circuit. Then, the control circuit is operated so as to cause a constant current circuit to interrupt the supply of a base current to a transistor, thereby disconnecting a short-circuited output branched transmission line from a corresponding input branched transmission line.

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I): ##STR1## (wherein: R.sup.1 is alkyl; R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 are each alkyl or alkoxy, or R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 together form an optionally substituted benzene ring and, when R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 together form said benzene ring, R.sup.1 is hydrogen, halogen or alkyl; R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 both represent hydrogen, or together represent a single carbon-carbon bond; W is a single bond or alkylene; and Z is a hydrogen atom or a cation) have valuable therapeutic and prophylactic activities, including anti-diabetic activities.

Abstract: A method and device of toner image transfer for an electrophotographic printing apparatus capable of obtaining stable high quality images regardless of the environmental conditions. The device includes a transfer roller having an outermost resistive layer; a flexible conductive layer inside the outermost resistive layer which is electrically connected to the resistive layer; an elastically deformable elastic sponge rubber layer inside the conductive layer; a metallic shaft inside the elastic sponge rubber layer to which a transfer bias voltage is applied; and an elastically deformable elastic conductive portion electrically connecting the metallic shaft and the conductive layer. In carrying out the method, the transfer bias voltage is applied in pulsed form.

Abstract: In a thermal ink transfer printer, a print head and ink ribbon are mounted on a carriage which is moved at a first speed in a first direction along a recording paper in a first recording mode and also moved at the first speed in a second direction along the recording paper in the second recording mode. The ink ribbon is continuously fed in the second direction in the first and second modes and slides on the distal end of the print head so that ink is transferred from the ink ribbon onto the paper. Thus, the ink ribbon can be moved, relative to the paper, at a first speed and at a second speed which is different from the first relative speed.

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I): ##STR1## in which: A is a group of formula (II) or (III): ##STR2## W is methylene, carbonyl or >C.dbd.N--OV, where V is hydrogen, sulfo, acyl or alkyl; U is methylene, or W is absent and U is a carbon-carbon double bond between A and --CR.sup.1 (OH)--; R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are each hydrogen or alkyl; Y.sup.1 and Y.sup.2 are each hydrogen or a hydroxy-protecting group; and n is 1, 2 or 3 and salts thereof have anti-diabetic activity in mammals. Methods of preparing them are also provided.

Abstract: A halftone image printing device for printing an image consisting of picture elements arrayed in a zig-zag fashioning. Each picture element is composed of dots forming a quasi-diamond-shaped matrix. The dot matrix is a 2 (row) x 3 (column) matrix with two additional dots located at the top and bottom, respectively. The range of optical density, within which the densities represented by the picture elements fall, is segmented into sub-ranges. Different heating-resistors are assigned to each sub-range of density. The dots printed by the heating-resistors assigned to any sub-range of density forms a "dot pattern" of a specific shape. The first dot pattern has one dot printed on the upper-central part of the rectangular matrix. The second dot pattern has three dots forming an L-shaped pattern, the first dot printed on the upper-central part of the matrix, the second dot printed above the first dot, and the third dot printed to the right of the first dot.

Abstract: In an electrothermal printer with a resistive ink ribbon, ink ribbon is fed in a predetermined direction and is contacted with a recording electrode and first and second return electrode which are located upstream and downstream of the predetermined direction with respect to the recording electrode. The first return electrode is directly connected to the ground and the second return electrode is connected to the ground through a resistor. A signal current is supplied from the recording electrode to a conductive layer of the ink ribbon through a resistive layer and the signal current supplied to the conductive layer is supplied to the return electrodes through the resistive layer. Heat is generated at a portion of the ink ribbon, which is contacted with the recording electrode and is applied to the ink layer through the conductive layer, thereby printing an ink of the ink layer to a paper.

Abstract: A video signal coordination system which enables selective transmission of video signals from a plurality of sources with simpler digital switching systems which require fewer cross points and thus reduce the cost of the overall system. For each of a plurality of video source groups, an associated digital switching system is provided, so that the overall number of switching systems is equal to the number of video source groups. Queuing problems are avoided by having some duplication of video sources across various ones of the video source groups.

Abstract: Compounds of formula (I): ##STR1## in which: R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 are independently hydrogen, alkyl, aliphatic hydrocarbon groups having one or two carbon-carbon double or treble bonds, cycloalkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, substituted aralkyl, alkanoyl, alkenyol, cycloalkylcarbonyol, arylcarbonyl, substituted arylcarbonyl, arylalkanoyl, substituted arylalkanoyl, arylalkenoyl, substituted arylalkenoyl, alkoxycarbonyl, aryloxycarbonyl, substituted aryloxycarbonyl, aralkyloxycarbonyl, substituted aralkyloxycarbonyl, optionally substituted carbamoyl or thiocarbamoyol, alkylsulfonyl, haloalkylsulfonyl, arylsulfonyl, substituted arylsulfonyl, alkylthio, arylthio and substituted arylthio, or R.sup.1 and R.sup.2, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic group; one of R.sup.a and R.sup.b is hydrogen, alkyl or halogen, and the other of R.sup.a and R.sup.b is a group of formula (II): ##STR2## R.sup.

Abstract: In an electrothermal printing apparatus, ink ribbon is fed in a predetermined direction and is contacted with a recording electrode and a return electrode which is located upstream of the predetermined direction with respect to the recording electrode. A signal current is supplied from the recording electrode to a conductive layer of the ink ribbon through a resistive layer and the signal current supplied to the conductive layer is supplied to the return electrode through the resistive layer. Heat is generated at a portion of the ink ribbon, which is contacted with the recording electrode and is applied to the ink layer through the conductive layer, thereby printing an ink of the ink layer to a paper.

Abstract: A halftone image printing device represents an image using a pixel matrix, prints each pixel as a dot pattern constituted by predetermined dots in a dot matrix, and controls the dot pattern and the printing density (multilevel density) of each dot included in the dot pattern in accordance with the density (multilevel) of the pixel. An overall printing density range is divided into four density ranges, i.e., from the lowest to the highest density ranges, and each pixel is defined by a 3.times.3 dot matrix.

Abstract: A color image printing apparatus prints one pixel by superposing a predetermined dots of three colors within a 3.times.3 dot matrix in accordance with a density of the pixel. The positions of the printed dots within the dot matrix are stored as a dot pattern for each color. One dot pattern is used for each of a plurality of densities included in one density range. The printing energy for each of the dots included in the dot pattern is controlled in accordance with the density level of the pixel. The dot pattern is different for each color and three dot patterns are stored for each color and for each density range. These three dot patterns are repeatedly used for every three pixels which are continuous in the horizontal direction. These three dot patterns have two or three texture directions. The texture direction other than the vertical direction is different for each color.

Abstract: Thiazolidinone derivatives of formula (I): ##STR1## in which R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4 and R.sup.5 are various atoms or organic groups, Ar is an aromatic group and n is an integer have valuable pharmacological activities including the ability to reduce blood glucose levels and blood lipid levels.

Abstract: A thermal transfer printing apparatus has a thermal head comprised of a plurality of heating members aligned in line, each of the heating members transferring an ink to printing paper upon heating so as to form one dot, the thermal head moving relative to the printing paper and defining a pixel using m.times.n printing dots (m, n: positive integers). This apparatus further has multilevel dot pattern generating means for storing several binary dot patterns having predetermined dots of the m.times.

Abstract: A wireless subscription television system arranged to transmit ciphered video signals from a transmitter to receivers in which the transmitting system comprises an enable code setting means, a transmitting means for transmitting control signals to allow a respective enable code of a receiving system to be picked up and a converting means for masking said enable codes and sending out masked enable codes, and on the other hand, the receiving system has a plurality of decoder systems each comprising a key code input means, a means for picking up a key code put in by the input means after converting it into an enable code by means of the control signals and a comparator means for determining if the picked-up enable code and the enable code as masked sent from the transmitting system are same or not. Thus, when the both enable codes come to be same, the respective decoder system is set in receivable condition.

Abstract: An address check system which comprises receiving stations each receiving address information and control information transmitted by a transmitting station and take the control information in when the address coincides with the own address and further has a means for detecting changes in its own address.