Abstract: The invention relates to a rapid and sensitive assay method for the detection of antibodies to Human T-Cell Leukemia Virus-III (HTLV-III), the AIDS virus, and diagnostic test kits for carrying out the method of the invention. According to the method of the invention, which is referred to as a Quick Western Blot, test samples and viral lysate are used in at least 50% greater concentrations than those used in conventional Western Blot techniques. In accordance with the invention, test results may be obtained in under two hours.

Abstract: A scale inhibitor containing as its active component a copolymer comprising acrylic acid, methacrylic acid and a C.sub.1-8 alkyl ester of (meth)acrylic acid, the copolymer being(a) about 1:4 to about 4:1 in the copolymerization mole ratio of acrylic acid to methacrylic acid,(b) about 2:1 to about 40:1 in the copolymerization mole ratio of a total amount of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid to the C.sub.1-8 alkyl ester of (meth) acrylic acid, and(c) about 500 to about 15,000 in average molecular weight.

Abstract: A portable cat litter tray is provided which is easily converted from a closed box to an open tray. The litter tray comprises a structure movable between the closed box position and the open tray position, a clip member for imparting rigidity to the side walls of the structure when in the open tray position and, preferably, securing a cat litter-containing bay to the structure when in the open tray position.

Abstract: A disposable plastic container for ices comprising a pair of substantially equally shaped films of a thermoplastic synthetic resin laid one upon the other and welded or adhered to each other. They are joined only partly to define therebetween a liquid inlet which is closed after a liquid for forming ices has been introduced therethrough, and a plurality of compartments each capable of holding the liquid therein and allowing it to be frozen at a low temperature. The films define a joined edge portion surrounding all of the compartments and provided with a plurality of notches which enable the films to be torn across the compartments, so that the frozen products which have been formed in the compartments can be removed therefrom.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for the preparation of the esters of an alkyltartronic acid by direct oxidation, with O.sub.2 or the like, at 30.degree.-200.degree. C., of the corresponding alkyl-malonic esters, in the presence of a catalytic system, comprising a salt of a transition metal, selected from Mn, Fe, Co and Cu, and an alkali-metal salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid, optionally in the presence of a polar solvent.

Abstract: A stable, palatable and safe hydrogen peroxide releasing tooth powder composition containing sodium bicarbonate and sodium percarbonate in combination with flavoring agents, sweeteners, fluoridating agents, additional abrasives, surfactants and/or additional adjuvants.

Abstract: An angular displacement interferometer system capable of measuring accurately changes in angular displacement comprises a source (10) of a frequency stabilized input beam with two linear orthogonally polarized components; a tilted parallel plate or shear place (16) with regions of reflection, antireflection, and polarizing coatings for converting the input beam (12) into two separated, parallel, orthogonally polarized beams (30, 31); a half-wave retardation plate (29) located in one of the separated beams (31) for converting the two separated, parallel, orthogonally polarized beams (30, 31); into first and second beams which are spatially separated parallel, and have the same polarization (30, 33); a polarizing beamsplitter (40) and quarter-wave retardation plate (44) for transmitting the first and second beams (34, 35) to a fixed plano mirror (70) nominally perpendicular to the first and second beams for reflecting the first and second beams back into the quarter-wave retardation plate (44), polarizing beams

Abstract: Plasmids useful as cloning vectors carrying an inserted regulatable promoter, transcription from the promoter regulating plasmid replication. Increased transcription leads to a substantially increased or uncontrolled plasmid copy number when host microorganisms containing the plasmid are cultivated under conditions securing such increased transcription. The regulatable promoter is preferably .lambda. P.sub.R, the activity of which is controlled by a temperature-sensitive .lambda. cl repressor. To obtain gene products of the plasmids, host microorganisms to which such plasmids have been transformed are desirably cultivated at about 30.degree. C. to secure a constant, low plasmid copy number during the seeding and multiplication stages of the microorganisms, after which the temperature is preferably shifted to about 36.degree.-42.degree. C. to obtain an uncontrolled plasmid copy number and an amplified amount of gene product.

Abstract: A differential plane mirror interferometer comprises a source (10) which emits a light beam containing two orthogonally polarized components of different frequencies; a source of a stabilized electrical reference signal (11) of a frequency corresponding to a difference frequency between the two components of the light beam; a beamsplitter/beam folder assembly (16, 16A) for converting the input beam into two separated, parallel, orthogonally polarized beams; a half-wave retardation plate (29A, 29) located in one of the separated beams to produce two separated parallel beams with the same polarization; means including a polarizing beamsplitter (44), for causing each of the separated parallel beams with the same polarization to be reflected twice by one of two plane mirrors (71, 70) to produce two parallel output beams with the same polarization; a half-wave retardation plate (29B, 29) located in one of the separated parallel output beams, with the beamsplitter/beam folder assembly (16, 16B) converting the two s

Abstract: A differential plane mirror interferometer comprises a source (10) which emits a light beam containing two linear orthogonally polarized components; a beamsplitter/beam folder assembly (16, 16A) for converting the input beam into two separated, parallel, orthogonally polarized beams; a half-wave retardation plate (29A, 29) located in one of the separated beams to produce two separated parallel beams with the same polarization; means including a polarizing beamsplitter (44), for causing each of the separated parallel beams with the same polarization to be reflected twice by one of two plane mirrors (71, 70) to produce two parallel output beams with the same polarization; a half-wave retardation plate (29B, 29) located in one of the separated parallel output beams, with the beamsplitter/beam folder assembly (16, 16B) converting the two separated parallel orthogonally polarized output beams into a single output beam in which the phase difference between the two polarization components of the single output beam i

Abstract: A copying machine, including a photosensitive drum; a corona charger; an exposure device for exposing the photosensitive drum to an optical image of an original; a developing unit for developing a toner image on the photosensitive drum; a transfer corona charger for transferring the developed toner image to copy paper; a device for mechanically separating the imaged copy paper from the photosensitive drum; and a system for cleaning the drum after the image transfer, which includes an eraser lamp disposed adjacent the copy paper delivery side of the transfer corona charger at a position for illuminating copy paper from the rear side thereof upon image transfer thereto, and a control unit for controlling the operation of the transfer corona charger and the eraser lamp, thereby assuring smooth separation of copy paper after image transfer and efficient transport of the paper.

Abstract: A portable electronic scale of minimal thickness and weight is provided which is suitable for measuring the weight of an individual or object and which can be easily carried in a bag, stored in a cabinet or hung on a wall. The scale comprises a single load-bearing composite plate of composite (sandwich) construction with its principle strength concentrated on its top and bottom surfaces, and including a center core plate which includes a number of small cavities for electronic components. A plurality of shallow supporting feet exert a force from below on a plurality of mechanically deformable elements embedded rigidly in the composite plate, which force is measured and translated by electronic transducers such as strain gauges into electrical signals. These signals are summed in a Wheatstone bridge configuration, amplified and converted electronically to a digital display of the weight.

Abstract: A hypoglycemic composition which contains as an effective component a polysaccharide named as Arboran A or B which has hypoglycemic activity and water solubility, and a method of treating diabetes comprising administering to a patient afflicted with diabetes a theraputically effective amount of the above composition.

Abstract: A digital signal to be transmitted (TXSG) is encoded through an external code device (EXCD); digital signal TXSG' so obtained (with a bit rate greater than TXSG) is used to modulate, through modulator MOD 1, a transmission carrier later amplified by transmitter TEQ 1 and radiated by antenna ANT1. The RF carrier sent by the transmitter is received by an intermediate transponder through antenna ANT2, receiver REQ2 and demodulator DEM1, which reconstitutes signal TXSG', save for transmission errors. The signal so received is once again encoded by internal coder INCD, obtaining a new digital signal TXSG", which has a bit rate even higher than TXSG'. This TXSG" signal is then used to modulate a second RF carrier by means of MOD2 modulator. The resulting signal is amplified by TEQ2 and radiated by antenna ANT3.

Abstract: An improved method and apparatus for filtration includes an outer stationary body, an inner rotating body defining a gap with the outer body for receiving a fluid sample, the surface of one of the bodies defining the gap being a filter. The rotation of the inner body creates Taylor vortices which continuously displace occluded solute on the filter surface. The filter can be a membrane.

Abstract: A process for preparing .alpha.,.omega.-dicarboxylic acids of the formula OC--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --COOH in which n=6 to 10 is disclosed. The process consists of the catalytic oxidation of a compound of formula X--(CH.sub.2).sub.n --CHO wherein X is CHO or COOH and n is 6 to 10 by O.sub.2 pure or in mixture with inert gas, possibly under pressure, in at least one polar solvent, at a temperature comprised between 20.degree. and 90.degree. C. and in the presence of a catalyst. The catalyst is chosen from the group consisting of at least one cobalt (II) salt and one ferrous salt. The amount of the catalyst is .ltoreq.0.001 mol % calculated on the equivalents of the aldehyde groups in the starting compound.

Abstract: An improved remote test access system (100) for remotely testing an accessed telephone line (T/R) with any conventional telephone test set (102) without introducing any errors or hits to the line (T/R), uses a fixed reference delay (110, 112) which is always in the signal path and a variable delay (120, 122) which is in the test path and is varied so that the sum of the variable delay (120, 122) and the test set (102) delay equals the fixed reference delay (110, 112).

Abstract: An interferometer system capable of measuring accurately the deviations from straightness of travel comprises a source (10) of a frequency stabilized input beam (12) with two linear orthogonally polarized components which may or may not be of the same frequency; a tilted parallel plate or shear plate (16) with regions of reflection, antireflection, and polarizing coatings, for converting the input beam into two separated, parallel, orthogonally polarized beams (30, 31); a half-wave retardation plate (24), located in one of the separated beams (31), for converting the two separated, orthogonally polarized beams into first and second beams which are spatially separated, parallel, and have the same polarization (30, 33); a polarizing beamsplitter (40) and quarter-wave retardation plate (44) for transmitting the first and second beams (34, 35) to a prism assembly (45), attached to the mechanical apparatus whose straightness of travel is to be measured, for refracting the parallel first and second beams (36, 37) i

Abstract: An output information system for an interchangeable lens (Y) usable with a microprocessor based camera system (X) for transmitting specific data about the lens (Y) to the microprocessor in the camera body (X) comprises a binary counter (CO) which counts each of n clock pulses transmitted from the microprocessor, and a discriminator gate array (AN.sub.1 to AN.sub.6, AN.sub.11 to AN.sub.15) connected to the counter (CO) for comparing the n clock pulse number which has a predetermined logic level among the specific data for producing the logic level as an output discriminated logic level via an output gate (OR, NOR) when the counted value of the counts (CO) is in agreement with the output discriminating condition of the gate array (AN.sub.1 to AN.sub.6, AN.sub.11 to AN.sub.15), the opposite logic level being provided as an output bit to the microprocessor when the counted value of the counter (CO) is not in agreement therewith.