Abstract: The present invention relates to recombinant Escherichia coli (E. coli) host cells comprising, in relation to wild-type cells, at least one mutation selected from the group consisting of deletion of the gene relA (?relA); amino acid substitutions R290E and K292D in the protein guanosine-3?,5?-bis pyrophosphate 3?-pyrophosphohydrolase (bifunctional (p)ppGpp synthetase II; SpoT) (spo T[R290E;K292D]); and amino acid substitution G267C in the protein pyruvate dehydrogenase subunit E1 (AceE) (aceE[G267C]). Said recombinant host cells are characterized by increased sugar uptake rates that lead to increased productivity when using said cells for the production of biosynthetic products. The present invention further relates to respective methods for the biosynthetic production of a product of interest using said host cells.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a fermentation process for culturing a host cell comprising a vector which comprises an inducible promoter of the mannose operon wherein the inducible promoter of the mannose operon controls expression of a nucleic acid sequence encoding for a polypeptide, in particular the present invention relates to the high cell density fermentation of a prokaryotic host cell comprising the inducible promoter of the mannose operon in the production of a polypeptide.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new D-carbamoylase and the gene sequences which code for this from the organism Arthrobacter crystallopoietes DSM 20117. Plasmids, vectors, microorganisms, particular primers and specific possible uses of the enzymes according to the invention are also mentioned. The invention moreover describes a new process for the discovery of enzymes which can be employed in a process for the preparation of D-amino acids starting from 5′-substituted hydantoins.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a new D-carbamoylase and the gene sequences which code for this from the organism Arthrobacter crystallopoietes DSM 20117. Plasmids, vectors, microorganisms, particular primers and specific possible uses of the enzymes according to the invention are also mentioned. The invention moreover describes a new process for the discovery of enzymes which can be employed in a process for the preparation of D-amino acids starting from 5′-substituted hydantoins.

Abstract: Rec-hydantoinases which may be obtained in more active form by a the process described herein. The invention also relates, inter alia, to a rechydantoinase from the organism Arthrobacter crystallopoietes DSM20117, to nucleic acids which code for such a protein and to vectors containing said nucleic acids and to uses thereof.

Abstract: A positioning device is e.g. used for positioning the door of a motor vehicle in an opened position. The positioning device comprises e.g. a cylinder and a piston rod which extends inward and outwards of the cylinder through one end thereof. A flank face is provided at the inner wall surface of the cylinder. The piston rod carries a piston. The piston is provided with a counter-arresting ring which engages the flank face in a predetermined position. When the piston passes across the arresting flank of the cylinder, the counter-arresting ring is moved radially inwards with respect to the axis of the piston rod against elastic resistence. So, an increased resistance occurs against the axial movement of the piston rod with respect to the cylinder. This increased resistance against axial movement positions the door with respect to the body frame of a motor vehicle in a predetermined opened position and avoids that the door is closed unintentionally.

Abstract: In a hydraulic positioning device a piston divides the cavity within a cylinder into two working chambers. The piston is connected with a piston rod passing through one end of the device and with a volume compensating rod through the other end of the device. The piston rod is provided with a passage which can be opened and closed by a valve so as to allow optional adjustment and blocking of the piston rod. The hydraulic liquid within the working chambers is subjected to volume variation in response to varying temperatures. With the aim of compensating such volume variations a partition at one end of the cylinder is supported by an abutment of the cylinder through an axially deformable compensating body having preferably a deformation force--deformation path characteristic which is responsive to temperature.

Abstract: In a fluid-operated device such as a gas spring a piston rod is axially movably guided through a passage in an end wall of the gas spring. A sealing disc of elastomeric material is axially compressed between two supporting faces and engages the piston rod with a convex radially inner edge. The apex of the edge is substantially midway of the axial thickness of the sealing disc. Preferably the sealing disc has also a radially outwardly convex sealing edge which is in sealing engagement with a stationary face surrounding the sealing disc.

Abstract: Gas springs are frequently used for assisting the movement of a movable construction unit, e.g. a boot lid with respect to a stationary construction unit, e.g. a motor car frame. In view of facilitating the closing operation of the boot lid, the pressure in the gas spring is sometimes selected such that the gas spring cannot fully overcome the gravitational forces acting onto the boot lid. In such cases the gas spring cannot fulfill the function of maintaining the boot lid in the upper terminal, i.e. the fully opened position without additional provision. In order to enable the gas spring to maintain the boot lid in the upper terminal position, the gas spring is constructed such that in the outer terminal position of the piston rod with respect to the cylinder an increased resistance is exerted by the gas spring against pushing the piston rod inwards of the cylinder. A simple and economic hydraulic circuit is proposed in view of achieving such increased resistance.

Abstract: In a pneumatic or hydropneumatic tension spring which consists of a container in which a cylinder is concentrically arranged and a liquid and/or gas filling under pressure has an inward force upon a piston rod, between a working chamber on the piston rod side and an annular chamber a damper device is arranged which generates a greater damping effect in the inward movement of the piston rod than in the outward movement of the piston rod. Due to this measure a damped inward movement of the piston rod is achieved while the extraction of the piston rod can be effected without appreciable damping.