Abstract: Isolated polypeptides related to endogenous anti-viral polypeptides; and compositions, including immunogenic compositions, comprising a subject isolated polypeptide are disclosed herein. A subject isolated polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having substantial amino acid sequence identity to a contiguous stretch of amino acids of one or more endogenous anti-viral polypeptides, wherein the endogenous anti-viral polypeptides are polypeptides subject to proteolytic degradation as a result of the activity of one or more viral proteins. Also provided are diagnostic and treatment methods using the subject isolated polypeptides and compositions.

Abstract: Isolated polypeptides related to endogenous anti-viral polypeptides; and compositions, including immunogenic compositions, comprising a subject isolated polypeptide are disclosed herein. A subject isolated polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having substantial amino acid sequence identity to a contiguous stretch of amino acids of one or more endogenous anti-viral polypeptides, wherein the endogenous anti-viral polypeptides are polypeptides subject to proteolytic degradation as a result of the activity of one or more viral proteins. Also provided are diagnostic and treatment methods using the subject isolated polypeptides and compositions.

Abstract: Isolated polypeptides related to endogenous anti-viral polypeptides; and compositions, including immunogenic compositions, comprising a subject isolated polypeptide are disclosed herein. A subject isolated polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having substantial amino acid sequence identity to a contiguous stretch of amino acids of one or more endogenous anti-viral polypeptides, wherein the endogenous anti-viral polypeptides are polypeptides subject to proteolytic degradation as a result of the activity of one or more viral proteins. Also provided are diagnostic and treatment methods using the subject isolated polypeptides and compositions.

Abstract: Isolated polypeptides related to endogenous anti-viral polypeptides; and compositions, including immunogenic compositions, comprising a subject isolated polypeptide are disclosed herein. A subject isolated polypeptide comprises an amino acid sequence having substantial amino acid sequence identity to a contiguous stretch of amino acids of one or more endogenous anti-viral polypeptides, wherein the endogenous anti-viral polypeptides are polypeptides subject to proteolytic degradation as a result of the activity of one or more viral proteins. Also provided are diagnostic and treatment methods using the subject isolated polypeptides and compositions.

Abstract: The present invention provides LINE polypeptides; and compositions, including immunogenic compositions, comprising a subject LINE polypeptide. The present invention provides a recombinant nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a subject LINE polypeptide. A subject composition is useful for stimulating a T-cell immune response to a LINE peptide. The present invention further provides methods of stimulating an immune response in an individual to a retrovirus- or lentivirus-infected cell. The present invention further provides methods of treating cancers that are associated with tissues in which LINE polypeptides are aberrantly expressed. Also provided are methods of treating disorders, involving decreasing an immune response to a LINE polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention provides isolated HERV polypeptides; and compositions, including immunogenic compositions, comprising a HERV polypeptide. The present invention provides immunogenic compositions comprising a nucleic acid comprising a nucleotide sequence encoding a HERV polypeptide. The immunogenic compositions are useful for stimulating a T cell immune response to a lentiviral peptide. The present invention further provides methods of stimulating an immune response in an individual to a retrovirus- or lentivirus-infected cell. The present invention further provides methods of treating cancers in which HERV polypeptides are expressed. Also provided are methods of treating disorders, involving decreasing an immune response to a HERV polypeptide.

Abstract: An improved quick attach system for removably attaching an implement, such as a bucket, to a front end loader includes a quick attach assembly connected to the lift arms and tilt operators of the front end loader. A pair of alignment members mate with alignment recesses on the bucket while a pair of spring-urged locking pins mate with a pair of brackets on the bucket. A common scissors-type pin retraction assembly is connected to the locking pins with a single release handle provided to move the pins between locked and release positions. The handle moves within a slot between as the pins move between the locked and release positions and a detent is provided for holding the handle, and the locking pins, in the release position. The handle is automatically urged from the detent position by a locking member on the loader as the bucket is attached to the loader, thus allowing the pins to lock into place in the bucket brackets.

Abstract: The elongated cutter bed extending across the front of the harvester has a series of rotary cutting units which rotate about respective upright axes. Upright impeller cages associated with those cutter units located outside of the rear discharge opening of the header help gather cut crop toward the center of the machine for subsequent rearward delivery.

Abstract: The harvester has a transverse cutter bed provided with a series of rotary cutting units that rotate about individual upright axes. Those cutting units located outboard of the discharge opening behind the cutting bed are provided with specially configured impeller plates that assist in the proper delivery of cut materials into the opening.

Abstract: A swing-tongue harvester has a hydraulically controlled pulling tongue that can be operated from the tractor seat to change the lateral position of the machine relative to the towing tractor, notwithstanding the presence of a mechanical drive line which extends along the tongue and branches down to a gearbox carried by the header for driving the operating components of the header. Telescoping steering linkage between the swing tongue and the gearbox causes the box to swing responsively with the tongue when the tongue is swung to any of its angular positions, thus keeping the input shaft of the gearbox oriented properly toward the driveline along the tongue. The connection points for the steering linkage between the tongue and the gearbox are such that a telescoping section of the driveline bridging the tongue and the input shaft of the gearbox has equal angles maintained at its universal joints at opposite ends of the telescoping section to reduce unequal loading at those locations.

Abstract: The baler has a "vertical" bale starting chamber in which the upward moving rear belts and the downwardly moving front belts cooperate to tumble and roll incoming material into a bale. When the bale reaches full size in the expanded chamber, the bale is lifted while still in its chamber to a wrapping station where it continues to spin as a binding wrapper is applied. During the lifting of the finished bale and subsequent application of the wrapper, fresh material entering the continuously moving baler is confined beneath the finished bale in a new starting chamber, whereupon the cycle is repeated. As the new bale grows, a discharge ramp becomes formed by certain stretches of the belts and rollers to gravitationally discharge the wrapped bale from the baler without stopping advancement of the machine.

Abstract: A belt transmission has a clutch that keeps both belts moving in the same direction when the transmission is in the forward mode and slackens only one of the belts during the usually brief interval that the transmission is placed in its reverse mode with the other belt moving in the reverse direction. Both belts share a common actuating lever having a lost motion coupling with one of the belts so that the lever can be placed in a neutral position in which neither of the belts is driven, even though power continues to be delivered to the transmission. The drive train that supplies such power accomplishes a substantially right-angle drive from the swingable tongue of the machine without a gear box by connecting a number of universal joints in a series that cuts across the corner between the swingable tongue and the main drive shaft of the transmission.

Abstract: Large round bales are gathered in the field with a towable implement having a long bed that may be tipped forwardly or rearwardly to the ground about an intermediate transverse axis in order to accomplish front or rear loading of the implement. Bales are successively loaded by driving laterally spaced beams of the inclined bed under the bales as conveyor chains on the beams draw the bales in the opposite direction up onto the beams, whereupon the bed is leveled out for transporting the picked up bales. Unloading is accomplished by inclining the bed appropriately and driving the bales off the beams with the conveying chains as the beams are simultaneously drawn out from under the bales. The bed may be disposed either directly behind its towing vehicle or off to one side thereof by virtue of a hydraulically controlled, articulated tongue, and bale loading and unloading is facilitated by virtue of the absence of any interfering drive shafts across the beams at their opposite ends.

Abstract: A belt transmission has a clutch that keeps both belts moving in the same direction when the transmission is in the forward mode and slackens only one of the belts during the usually brief interval that the transmission is placed in its reverse mode with the other belt moving in the reverse direction. Both belts share a common actuating lever having a lost motion coupling with one of the belts so that the lever can be placed in a neutral position in which neither of the belts is driven, even though power continues to be delivered to the transmission. The drive train that supplies such power accomplishes a substantially right-angle drive from the swingable tongue of the machine without a gear box by connecting a number of universal joints in a series that cuts across the corner between the swingable tongue and the main driven shaft of the transmission.

Abstract: The discharge end of a bale chamber may be constricted or enlarged such that bales being packed rearwardly through the chamber may be increased or decreased in density by regulating their resistance to exit from the chamber. Bell cranks at the four corners of the chamber are coupled with shiftable walls of the latter in such a way that pressure increases or decreases are simultaneously experienced by all of the walls upon introduction or release of hydraulic fluid to a pair of power devices which interconnect the two cranks on each side of the chamber. The two legs of each bell crank are of equal radial length with respect to the axis of swinging movement of the crank so that equal moment arms are produced by such legs to accomplish substantially uniform pressure around the bale within the chamber.

Abstract: The discharge spout of the pickup in a stack-forming machine is provided with baffle structure inside the spout and adjacent the discharge opening that oscillates horizontally and continuously through a stream of crops being projected into the forming body of the machine in order to break up wads and clumps of matter in the stream and to evenly distribute the stream from side-to-side within the body. One embodiment utilizes a single, centrally disposed fin as the baffle structure, while another employs a pair of such fins angled acutely with respect to one another, centered in the spout and controlled to preclude swinging of each fin inwardly beyond a position parallel to the direction of crop flow.

Abstract: A sickle drive has a sway bar that is coupled with the sickle to reciprocate the latter during oscillation of the sway bar. The latter is operably coupled with a crank drive through a special linkage employing a pair of oppositely extending, short pitman links that compensate for one another adjacent opposite ends of the sickle stroke to vary the velocity of the sickle substantially sinusoidally. The oppositely directed inertia forces of the sickle adjacent opposite ends of its stroke, made equal by the special linkage, are balanced out by a pair of superimposed, oppositely rotating weights driven in timed relationship to reciprocation of the sickle, thereby presenting a substantially vibration-free drive.

Abstract: In the stacking of hay or other crops, a windrow or swath is lifted off the ground, fed into a pile collected by a vehicle-supported, stack-forming body and the pile compressed from time to time in the body, all in a continuous operation as the vehicle is advanced across the field, by virtue of the provision of an accumulator which receives the crop while the pile is being compressed, and from which accumulator the crop so accumulated is thereupon dumped onto the compressed pile as the latter is held against expansion by a holding assembly.