Abstract: Polymeric materials and products, including sheet flooring materials prepared from the polymeric materials, and processes for preparing the polymeric materials, are disclosed. The polymeric materials include a polylactic acid-based polymer in combination with plasticizer and a compatibilizer, and optionally include a filler. The polymeric material can include between about 30 to about 50 percent by weight polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, ethylene vinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoates, or polyolefins modified with polar groups, for example, ionomers. The plasticizer is typically an epoxidized vegetable oil or esterified and epoxidized vegetable oil and is typically present in an amount of between about 10 and about 50% by weight. In some embodiments, the compatibilizer is a polyolefin modified with one or more polar functional groups, and is typically present in an amount of between about 5 and about 10% by weight.

Abstract: Polymeric materials and products, including sheet flooring materials prepared from the polymeric materials, and processes for preparing the polymeric materials, are disclosed. The polymeric materials include a polylactic acid-based polymer in combination with plasticizer and a compatibilizer, and optionally include a filler. The polymeric material can include between about 30 to about 50 percent by weight polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene glycol, polyglycolide, ethylene vinyl acetate, polycarbonate, polycaprolactone, polyhydroxyalkanoates, or polyolefins modified with polar groups, for example, ionomers. The plasticizer is typically an epoxidized vegetable oil or esterified and epoxidized vegetable oil and is typically present in an amount of between about 10 and about 50% by weight. In some embodiments, the compatibilizer is a polyolefin modified with one or more polar functional groups, and is typically present in an amount of between about 5 and about 10% by weight.

Abstract: A process for the preparation of a fuel oil (diesel fuel or heating oil) composition which is a mixture of an alkanol tranesterified fatty acid ester triglyceride and an acetal of glycerol is described. The process preferably provides a prestep of the formation of at least some of the alkanol transesterified triglyceride containing the glycerol for use in the formation of the acetal of glycerol. The composition can also be formed from a reaction of 1,1- dimethoxy- or 1,1-diethoxyethane and glycerol to form the acetal in the alkanol transesterified triglyceride.

Abstract: Plant growth and plant growth habit can be controlled without the application of exogenous plant hormones or hormone mimetics using the nucleic acid sequences and methods provided. UDP-Glucose: Indol-3-ylacetyl-glucosyl transferase (IAGlu Transferase) amino acid sequence and nucleic acid coding sequences for this enzyme, specifically exemplified for Zea mays, are provided. Nucleic acid constructs directing the expression of IAGlu Transferase and the expression of antisense RNA specific therefor allows the control of growth habit and plant size in transgenic plants containing such nucleic acid constructs.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for measuring the infiltration flow rate into the passenger compartment of a moving motor vehicle includes a controlled source of a distinct, miscible gas such as carbon dioxide (CO2) a plurality of sensors disposed about the compartment to continuously monitor the concentration of such miscible gas over time and a multi-channel data storage device which discretely stores the concentration data from such plurality of sensors for later analysis and computation. The decay rate of the miscible gas concentration is a function of the infiltration/exfiltration rate.

Abstract: Processes for the preparation of pyrrolidones (7 and 8) and pyrrolidines (9 and 10) from tri-O-acetyl-D-erythro-4-pentulosonic acid esters are described. The compounds are aza sugar analogs of D-ribofuranoside and are intermediates to drugs which regulate nucleoside and nucleic acid synthesis.

Abstract: A method for inhibiting a tumor in a mammal using a composition comprising an anthocyanin or cyanidin from a berry is described. The method involves using the composition in an amount and for a time to inhibit the tumor. The composition can include other antitumor agents.

Abstract: Plant growth and plant growth habit can be controlled without the application of exogenous plant hormones or hormone mimetics using the nucleic acid sequences and methods provided. UDP-Glucose: Indol-3-ylacetyl-glucosyl transferase (IAGlu Transferase) amino acid sequence and nucleic acid coding sequences for this enzyme, specifically exemplified for Zea mays, are provided. Nucleic acid constructs directing the expression of IAGlu Transferase and the expression of antisense RNA specific therefor allows the control of growth habit and plant size in transgenic plants containing such nucleic acid constructs.

Abstract: An integrating transient recorder for time array detection of ions within an ion source extraction. The arrival times of all ions having various mass-to-charge ratios are calculated and integrating or peak detecting circuitry is activated just prior to the calculated time of arrival of each ion, and then only for a time duration in accordance with a predetermined data collection time window sufficient to enable each ion mass value to be completely measured. An analog-to-digital converter converts the area or peak analog signal for each ion into a corresponding digital signal and outputs the digital signals to a plurality of FIFO buffers. The FIFO buffers are read out for each successive transient by a digital signal processor and summed over a predetermined number of sequential transients in a mass locked registry creating a file of ion intensities versus mass-to-charge ratio of all ions detected.