Abstract: The object of the invention is a flexible plastic container for the spatially separated storage and, optionally, selective sterilization of the ingredients of preparations for parenteral or enteral use. The container comprises three compartments being suited for taking up the ingredients, namely carbohydrates within compartment 3, lipids within compartment 4, and amino acids within compartment 5 as well as connections between the compartments which can be opened sterilely from the outside. The proportions by volume of the compartments are selected such that rapid mixing of all ingredients without time-consuming pressing and kneading operations by the hospital personnel is possible within compartment 5.

Abstract: The invention relates to the nucleic acid sequence and amino acid sequence of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) from mycobacteria and to expression of recombinant DHFR protein. Utilizing the recombinant protein, novel therapies and diagnostic strategies can be developed and selective antimycobacterial compositions can be designed and utilized to treat mycobacterial infections in patients. This invention includes all or portions of novel recombinant nucleic acids encoding DHFR for mycobacteria such as M. avium, to novel recombinant DHFR peptides produced by such sequences, and to vaccines, diagnostic kits, cells and therapies utilizing these peptides and nucleic acid sequences. The present invention relates to methods for using the sequences of the present invention to develop drugs specific to M. avium and other mycobacteria, to identify and sequence corresponding sequences in species other than M. avium, as well as diagnostic and treatment methods incorporating the disclosed sequences and peptides.

Abstract: Bioabsorbable cyanoacrylate-based tissue adhesives containing bioabsorbable copolymers are disclosed. The copolymers are preferably derived from &egr;-caprolactone, lactide and glycolide monomers or from butyl 2-cyanoacrylate, glycolide, lactide, &egr;-caprolactone monomers. The adhesives are characterized by increased biodegradability, increased viscosity and increased flexibility. The adhesives are useful for wound and incision closure, and for medical devices, including implants.

Abstract: The present invention pertains to a process for the cross-linking of modified engineering thermoplastics, in particular, of polymeric sulfinic acids or sulfinic acid salts. In particular, the invention pertains to a process for the preparation of cross-linked polymers, characterized in that solutions of polymeric sulfinic acids or sulfinic acid salts (—SO2Me), optionally in the presence of organic di- or oligohalogeno compounds [R(Hal)x], are freed from solvent and cross-linked to polymers, wherein Me stands for a monovalent or polyvalent metal cation; R stands for an optionally substituted alkyl or aryl residue containing from 1 to 20 carbon atoms; and Hal stands for F, Cl, Br or I.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for recycling fillers and coating pigments from the preparation of paper, paperboard and cardboard found in the residual water sludges from coating plant waste waters, deinking plants, internal water treatment plants or separators, and to the use of a thus obtained pigment slurry for the preparation of a coating compound for the paper industry or in the paper stock for papermaking. An essential element of the invention is a process for recycling fillers and coating pigments from the preparation of paper, paperboard and cardboard found in the residual water sludges from coating plant waste waters, deinking plants, internal water treatment plants or separators, characterized in that the residual water sludges containing the fillers and coating pigments are subjected to mixing and then milling together with fresh pigments or fresh fillers in the form of powders, fresh-pigment containing slurries and/or fresh-filler containing slurries to yield a pigment slurry.

Abstract: The invention relates to an absorbable implantable tissue expander device that can be used in surgeries as a gradually diminishing space filler. The absorbable tissue expander has a fluid-tight or semipermeable envelope having a bio-absorbable biocompatible shell defining a chamber. The envelope is inflatable upon infusion of a fluid into the chamber and deflatable upon removal of the fluid from the chamber. The tissue expander also enables the controlled inflation and deflation of the envelope after the device is implanted in a tissue.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a nucleic acid sequence characterized in that it is derived from the wild nucleic acid sequence coding for a thymidine kinase, said nucleic acid sequence having at least one mutation in the region corresponding to the ATP binding site and conveniently a second mutation in the N-terminal region and/or C-terminal region. It also relates to variants of the wild thymidine kinase and their use in genic therapy.

Abstract: Multiple transform utilization and applications for secure digital watermarking. In one embodiment of the present invention, digital blocks in digital information to be protected are transformed into the frequency domain using a fast Fourier transform. A plurality of frequencies and associated amplitudes are identified for each of the transformed digital blocks and a subset of the identified amplitudes is selected for each of the digital blocks using a primary mask from a key. Message information is selected from a message using a transformation table generated with a convolution mask. The chosen message information is encoded into each of the transformed digital blocks by altering the selected amplitudes based on the selected message information.

Abstract: Coat color is important to the pig breeding industry for a number of reasons. It is therefore desirable to develop populations of pigs which will breed true for coat color. However, establishing such populations would be time-consuming and costly using traditional test mating programs. It is therefore desirable to determine the coat color genotype of individual pigs. The inventors have shown that the KIT gene in pigs is involved with coat color determination. Specifically, the inventors have discovered that the difference between the I, IP, and i alleles of the coat color determining gene is duplication of at least part of the KIT gene in the I and IP alleles. Further, the inventors have discovered that the difference between the I and IP alleles is that, although both I and IP have a duplication in the KIT gene, only I and not IP exhibits a deletion in one of the duplicated regions.

Abstract: Building blocks for making a combinatorial chemical library comprise &agr;-allyl carboxylic acids and their functionalized derivatives. These are covalently linked by monotonous or diverse linkages. These can be conformationally constrained by cyclization and annelation. Kits comprising diverse &agr;-allyl carboxylic acids can be used to make libraries.

Abstract: Enzymatic RNA molecules which cleave ICAM-1 mRNA.

Abstract: A lysis chamber of an assay device capable of producing lysis of cells in a sample fluid such as whole blood, said chamber comprising a surface which contacts the sample fluid when the sample fluid is placed into the assay device; and a lytic material immobilized on the surface, whereby cells of the sample fluid are lysed when they contact the lytic material. The chamber can delimit a capillary space, and lytic material can be saponin or a detergent. Methods employing devices comprising such chambers can assay for whole blood amounts of cyclosporin or hemoglobin A1c.

Abstract: In a method for real time network chat, TCP/IP connections are established between a plurality of clients and a host. Respective real time communications protocol connections such as telnet or IRC are established over the TCP/IP connections, and a message is sent from one of the clients to at least one of the other clients through the host using the respective real time communications protocol connections therebetween. The message, which includes one or more instructions in a markup language such as html, for example, is parsed in the receiving chat client, which displays the message in accordance with the markup language instructions contained therein. Where the markup language instruction is a hyperlink, the telnet chat client receiving the message from the host communicates the URL associated with the hyperlink to a Web browser under user control, and the Web browser requests and receives the desired Web document.