Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant proteins encoding at least two antigenic epitopes joined by flexible hinge domains. Proteins of this design enable presentation of each epitope to the immune system and are particularly useful as vaccines against infectious agents, such as viruses, when many variants of that agent exist. Moreover, the recombinant proteins of the invention are useful as a single vaccine composition effective against diverse infectious agents since the subject proteins can have antigenic epitopes from different infectious agents. The invention further provides nucleic acids, expression vectors, host cells and methods for production of the subject recombinant proteins as well as vaccines and methods for treating HIV.

Abstract: The apparatus consists basically of an atmospheric burner, a combustion chamber, and means for creating a vacuum within the combustion chamber. To provide optimum combustion using different gases from one gas family, means for detecting at least one apparatus temperature and means for controlling the primary air flow according to the temperature detected are provided. Various applications are described wherein the temperature is measured at the surface of a burner diffuser and the primary air is controlled to keep the temperature below a critical value and the flame stable. For improved operation at the ignition stage, the flow rate of the primary air is set at a comparatively low predetermined starting value.