Abstract: Water-soluble compositions comprising a lipophilic compound and a solubilizing agent of the general formula: {X—OOC—[(CH2)n—COO]m}p—Y  (I) wherein: X is a residue of a hydrophobic moiety, Y is a residue of a hydrophilic moiety, p is 1 or 2, m is 0 or 1, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0 are disclosed. The lipophilic compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of water-insoluble ubiquinones, ubiquinols, vitamins, provitamins, polyene macrolide antibiotics, and mixtures thereof. The hydrophobic moiety is preferably a sterol or a tocopherol and the hydrophilic moiety is preferably a polyalkylene glycol. In some embodiments, the sterol is cholesterol or sitosterol, the tocopherol is &agr;-(+)-tocopherol, the polyalkylene glycol is a polyethylene glycol or its methyl monoether having an average molecular weight between 400 and 1000, p is equal to 1 or 2, m is equal to 0 or 1 and n is an integer between 2 and 18.

Abstract: An adenovirus vector/packaging cell line system is disclosed, in which the vector replication is blocked by deletion of a single gene, which deletion does not interfere with any other viral functions. The deleted gene is the gene of the adenovirus protease. The protease is expressed in a complementing (packaging) cell line through a regulatable expression cassette which induces no toxic effects in the cells, thus making the generation and propagation of the vector easier and more efficient. As the deleted gene is highly specific of adenovirus, no complementation of the gene in transduced cells is expected, which increases the safety of the new vectors for gene transfer purposes. Also disclosed is a new system of generating recombinant adenovirus vectors by positive selection of recombinants deleted for the endogenous protease gene, which gene is cloned in another region of the adenoviral genome.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to a foam-forming composition, for suppression/containment of blast from explosive devices. The composition comprises, a) a surfactant 40-80% w/w b) a foam stabilizer 0-7% w/w c) a polyalkylene glycol 10-30% w/w d) water, balance to 100%.

Abstract: The invention disclosed is an alkali metal-ion secondary cell having a carbonaceous anode and an electrolyte, comprising an alkali metal salt dissolved in an organic electrolyte solvent. Intercalation and de-intercalation during repeated charge/discharge cycle of the secondary cell using a conventional electrolyte solvent causes continual exposure of bare surfaces of the carbonaceous material to the electrolyte, resulting in continual consumption of electrolyte in the formation of new passivation films on the bared or partially covered surfaces, adversely affecting the performance and capacity of the cell. An improvement on the conventional electrolyte involves the addition of fluorinated organic solvent to the conventional electrolyte and results in a more stable passivation film, much less consumption of electrolyte and better performance and cell capacity.

Abstract: The invention disclosed provides integral multilayered polymers with variable interlayer gaps, and processes for their manufacture. The materials thus produced consist of many layers of a polymeric material, which may be a single polymer or a blend of compatible polymers, separated by discontinuous narrow gaps containing air and/or a blowing agent. The layer density can be controlled within a wide range, typically 10 to 2000 layers/mm, while the gap width between the layers can be controlled either to ≦100 nanometers (called nanolayered polymers) or ≧1 micrometer (called microlayered polymers), depending on the process. These layered materials are mechanically strong and have excellent thermal and electrical, and sound insulation properties. Two distinct mechanisms were developed for producing such materials.

Abstract: The invention disclosed provides a method for inducing nucleation in a polymer by subjecting the polymer containing dissolved gas to an external stress generated, for example, by applying hydrostatic or mechanical pressure. The applied stress restricts the bubble growth so that the foamed materials have small cells and high cell density. Such microcellular foams can be produced over a wide low temperature range, i.e. from the temperature at which the polymer is conditioned with the blowing agent up to about the glass transition temperature of the polymer-blowing agent system. Stress induced nucleation can also be conducted at higher temperatures i.e. up to about the Tg of the neat polymer, leading to foams with larger cells. A variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous foams can be produced by this technique.

Abstract: Volatile low melting solid Cu(II) metal complexes are provided which are capable of depositing a copper film on various substrates under CVD conditions in the absence of reducing carrier gas H2. These CU(II) metal complexes are represented by the structure formula: Cu(OCCF3R1CH2NHR2)2 wherein R1 is selected from hydrogen, C1-C4 lower-alkyl or perfluorinated C1-C4 lower-alkyl groups, e.g., CH3, and CF3, etc., and wherein R2 is C1-C6 lower-alkyl or C1-C6 lower-alkene, which may be substituted by one or more fluorine atoms, by a C1-C6 lower-alkoxy group or by a C1-C6 di-lower-alkyl amino group, provided that when R1 is CF3, R2 is other than hydrogen or methyl. A process for depositing copper film using these Cu(II) metal complexes is also provided.

Abstract: Seeds of Brassica's and related species (Crucifers), having increased dormancy coupled with greater tolerance to stresses associated with fall seeding in long winter climates, are produced by treatment with solutions of sugars and/or polyols, for a specified period, typically 10 to 70 h at room termperature, followed by air drying to ambient moisture content. Dormancy is generally released on overwintering, moist chilling or hydration-dehydration-dehydration or as a function of increasing temperature or time or a combination of the preceding. Treated seeds afford better emergence over a larger seeding window for fall sown seeds of Brassicas and related species thus increasing the attractiveness of this practice for these crops.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to analogues of human parathyroid hormoneh(PTH) which have increased activities in bone restoration, and increased bioavailablities. The analogues described are either single cyclic (1-28) or (1-29) analogues, or double cyclic (1-28) to (1-31) analogues. The single cyclic analogues are cyclised between amino acid pairs R22 and R26. The double cyclic analogues are cyclised between amino acid pairs 13 and 17, and 22 and 26. Various substitutions of the natural residues for other amino acids are also described. For example, the natural Lys27 residue may be substituted by Leu. Typically, these novel analogues have enhanced abilities to stimulate adenyl cyclase activity in rat osteosarcoma cells, and show increased activities in bone restoration using the ovariectomized rat model.

Abstract: An adenovirus vector/packaging cell line system is disclosed, in which the vector replication is blocked by deletion of a single gene, which deletion does not interfere with any other viral functions. The deleted gene is the gene of the adenovirus protease. The protease is expressed in a complementing (packaging) cell line through a regulatable expression cassette which induces no toxic effects in the cells, thus making the generation and propagation of the vector easier and more efficient. As the deleted gene is highly specific of adenovirus, no complementation of the gene in transduced cells is expected, which increases the safety of the new vectors for gene transfer purposes. Also disclosed is a new system of generating recombinant adenovirus vectors by positive selection of recombinants deleted for the endogenous protease gene, which gene is cloned in another region of the adenoviral genome.

Abstract: Microparticles such as propagules of eukaryotic biocontrol agents are encapsulated in cellular-scale polymer capsules that have a diameter similar to normal eukaryotic cells in a range of about 10 &mgr;m to about 400 &mgr;m. The microparticles are encapsulated by adding a hydrophobic dispersion medium such as a mixture of chloroform and hexane or a mixture of corn oil and n-hexadecane having a specific gravity of about 1 and containing an emulsifier such as lecithin to an aqueous suspension of the microparticles and a polymer matrix precursor such as alginate, agitating vigorously to form a stable emulsion of microscopic globules containing a microparticle, and adding the emulsion to an aqueous solution containing a polymerizing agent such as calcium chloride to polymerize and precipitate the globules to form microparticles encapsulated in polymer matrix capsules that may be of a teardrop shape having a length of 40-200% longer than the diameter.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to a composite armor material comprising an outer ballistic impact resistant layer of a steel material having a Rockwell “C” scale hardness of 47-54, and an inner blast resistant steel layer having a fracture toughness of 3.6-6.5 J/mm, and a Rockwell “C” scale hardness of 28-36.

Abstract: Water-soluble compositions comprising a lipophilic compound and a solubilizing agent of the general formula: wherein: X is a residue of a hydrophobic moiety, Y is a residue of a hydrophilic moiety, p is 1 or 2, m is 0 or 1, and n is an integer greater than or equal to 0 are disclosed. The lipophilic compound is preferably selected from the group consisting of water-insoluble ubiquinones, ubiquinols, vitamins, provitamins, polyene macrolide antibiotics, and mixtures thereof. The hydrophobic moiety is preferably a sterol or a tocopherol and the hydrophilic moiety is preferably a polyalkylene glycol. In preferred embodiments, the sterol is cholesterol or sitosterol, the tocopherol is a-(+)-tocopherol, the polyalkylene glycol is a polyethylene glycol or its methyl monoether having an average molecular weight between 600 and 1000, p is equal to 1 or 2, m is equal to 0 or 1 and n is an integer between 2 and 18.

Abstract: A silane or carbosilane dendrimer is modified with bridge moieties and polymer arms attached to the bridges to form hybrid dendrimer-star polymers. The bridge moieties are attached via Si—C bonds to the silane or dendrimer. The bridge has one or more reactive groups to which polymer arms are attached. Selected reactive groups on the bridge may serve as initiator sites for in situ polymerization of the arms. The polymer arms are of the polyether, polysulfide or polyester type. These arms may have functional groups which allow further modification and attachments. For this type of star polymer, the bridge has been found to increase resistance to hydrolysis at the silane- or dendrimer-arm junction. These star polymers are useful e.g. as viscosity modifiers, component in molding resins, water solubilizer for hydrophobic molecules, surfactants and as carriers for drugs, prodrugs and other biological agents.

Abstract: A foam generating nozzle is disclosed comprising a cylindrical housing, a first inlet at one end of the housing for connection to a supply of foamable liquid under pressure, a second inlet at the first end for air supply, a foam discharge outlet at the other end of the housing, a diffuser associated with the first inlet and a conical screen of a non-corrosive material disposed in said housing between the ends with its apex directed toward the discharge outlet, to provide a screen surface area larger than the inlet air supply area, such that in operation the foamable liquid is sprayed onto the screen by the diffuser in a pattern which matches the conical shape of the screen, while air is dragged through the screen thereby generating the foam.

Abstract: Hirudin is the most potent and specific thrombin inhibitor and is derived from the medicinal leech. It is reported to inhibit thrombin with an equilibrium dissociation constant (K.sub.i) value of 2.2.times.10.sup.-14 M. synthetic thrombin inhibitors have been designed based on the hirudin sequence but with a dramatically reduced size. The bulky active site inhibitor segment, hirudin.sup.1-48, has been substituted by small non-substrate type active site inhibitors of thrombin, e.g., dansyl-Arg-(D-pipecolic acid). The linker segment has also been modified using a combination of .omega.-amino acids to reduce the molecular weight but retaining sufficient length to span the two principal binding domains. Among the inhibitors designed, dansyl-Arg-(D-pipecolic acid)-(12-aminododecanoic acid)-4-aminobutyric acid)-Asp-Tyr-Glu-Pro-Ile-Pro-Glu-Glu-Ala-(L-.beta.-cyclohexylalamine)-(D- Glu)-OH (SEQ ID NO:45) showed the highest affinity and displays a competitive-type inhibition.

Abstract: The invention disclosed relates to a nanofiltration composite membrane that is solvent and pH stable and may be used to separate at least one dissolved or suspended component from a liquid phase, including(a) a substrate ultrafiltration membrane formed from an ethylenically unsaturated nitrile, such as acrylonitrile and substituted acrylonitrile polymers, and(b) a coating of a hydrophilic polymer containing reactive functional groups.Preferably, the reactive functional groups described in (b) are subjected to a post-coating cross-linking reaction with a substantially non-cytotoxic cross-linking agent such as bi-functional aldehydes. A method for the preparation of such composite membranes is also disclosed.

Abstract: The invention disclosed provides a method for inducing nucleation in a polymer by subjecting the polymer containing dissolved gas to an external stress generated, for example, by applying hydrostatic or mechanical pressure. The applied stress restricts the bubble growth so that the foamed materials have small cells and high cell density. Such microcellular foams can be produced over a wide low temperature range, i.e. from the temperature at which the polymer is conditioned with the blowing agent up to about the glass transition temperature of the polymer-blowing agent system. Stress induced nucleation can also be conducted at higher temperatures i.e. up to about the T.sub.g of the neat polymer, leading to foams with larger cells. A variety of homogeneous and heterogeneous foams can be produced by this technique.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for generating electrical power using animal body heat as the sole energy source. The apparatus includes a plurality of thermocouples connected in series and thermal insulating material for retaining heat in the hot junction and thermal conducting material for conducting heat away from the cold junction whereby a temperature differential between the hot and cold junctions of the thermocouples is maintained body heat energy received by the hot junction is converted to electrical power. The apparatus can be used to replace or supplement the electrical power provided by a low-voltage battery to drive a microelectronic device.

Abstract: This invention relates to the modification of plant lipids and seed oils by genetic engineering techniques to produce oilseeds of enhanced commercial value. In one form, the invention relates to a transgenic oilseed plant, or a seed of such plant, having a genome incorporating an expressible yeast SLC1-1 or SLC1 gene. The invention also provides a method of producing a transgenic oilseed plant, which comprises introducing into the genome of the plant an expressible yeast SLC1-1 or SLC1 gene. The invention also relates to various plasmids and vectors used in the method of the invention.