Abstract: Slats of a slat conveyor chain each have a multiplicity of drain holes distributed in a desired pattern, and discharge grooves formed in the underside of each slat along sliding surface portions facing guide rails of the slat conveyor chain. A treatment liquid, such as lubricating liquid or washing liquid, supplied onto a load-bearing upper surface of the slat conveyor chain for stable and damage-free conveyance of articles such as PET bottles, cans and so on is smoothly discharged from the discharge grooves through the drain holes without scatting around a frame of the slat conveyor chain. With this discharging of the treatment liquid, bearings and a speed reducer of a chain drive mechanism are protected against corrosion. The slat conveyor chain can, therefore, operate reliably over a long period of use while keeping the surrounding environment against contamination with the treatment liquid.

Abstract: A mesoscale sample preparation device capable of providing microvolume test samples, separated into a cell-enriched fraction and a fraction of reduced cell content, for performing various analyses, such as binding assays, determinations involving polynucleotide amplification and the like. Analytical systems including such devices are also disclosed.

Abstract: A spring-actuated electromagnetic brake includes a noise-suppressing device for suppressing a striking noise emitted when an armature is attracted onto a field to release the brake when an electromagnetic coil is excited to magnetize the field. The noise-suppressing device is comprised of a plurality of hemispherical elastic members each disposed in one of recesses formed in one of two opposed surfaces of the field and the armature. When the brake is in the engaged state, a hemispherical surface of each elastic member partially projects from the recess and is in contact with the other of the two opposed surface. When subjected to a compressive force or pressure applied from the armature, the hemispherical elastic member undergoes elastic deformation as a whole and does not produce any locally concentrated elastic deformation. The hemispherical elastic member is highly durable and is able to greatly suppress the striking noise generated when the brake is released.

Abstract: Disclosed is a heat pack A heat pack comprising a flexible container; a solution which is filled in the container and generates a heat while be crystalizing; a trigger which is disposed in the container to be in contact with the solution, for making the solution generate the heat, wherein the trigger is a single coil spring, and the coil spring has windings in close contact with each other or the coil spring has windings which are partially contacted with each other.

Abstract: Compounds of the formula: wherein R1 represents a lower alkyl (C1-C6) substituent which may be straight or branched; R2 represents an aryl substituent of the formula: and Q, V, W, X, Y and Z are as set forth in the accompanying specification, are useful in prophylaxis of influenza virus infection.

Abstract: Conjugates between one or more repeated subunits of an antigen and a carbohydrate polymer are desired. Also described are immunogenic vaccines against disease states which contain the conjugates and methods for inducing cell-mediated immune responses. The conjugates may especially contain polymers of the carbohydrate mannose and one or more repeated subunits of human mucin.

Abstract: A conveyor system includes a drive carrier and a driven carrier movably supported by guide rails via guide rollers rotatably mounted thereon. The drive carrier is connected in driven relation to a conveyor chain. A load-support member composed of a flatbed truck has front and rear engagement plugs removably received in a socket of the driven carrier and a socket of the drive carrier, respectively. The flatbed truck is conveyed in the same direction as the movable carrier while the overall weight of the flatbed truck is supported by the drive and driven carriers. At a curved portion of the conveyance path, the driven carrier is caused to move relative to the drive carrier to cancel out a difference between the length of a part of the curved conveyance path portion between the engagement plugs and the distance of a straight-line between the engagement plugs.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for in vitro evolution of protein function. In particular, the method relates to the shuffling of nucleotide segments obtained from exonuclease digestion. The present inventors have shown that polynucleotide fragments derived from a parent polynucleotide sequence digested with an exonuclease can be combined to generate a polynucleotide sequence which encodes for a polypeptide having desired characteristics. This method may be usefully applied to the generation of new antibodies or parts thereof having modified characteristics as compared to the parent antibody.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of bronopol (bromo-2-nitropropane-1,3-diol), in the treatment of various diseases of aquatic organisms, particularly salmonid fish and their eggs. The diseases which can be treated include thgose caused by fungal infections (such as Saprolegnia parasitica); protozoan infections, whether flagellate (such as Ichthyobodo necatrix) or ciliate (such as Icthyophthirius multifiliis); bacteria (such as Flavobacterium branchiophilum); and myxobacteria (such as Cytophaga psychrophila). Also disclosed is a method of disinfecting fish tanks and/or equipment, using a solution of bronopol.

Abstract: A trim cover 5 capable of vending and deforming together with the sheet resilient material by pressure of a body of a sitting passenger is stretched within the frame of the frame body such as to face a front surface side of the sheet resilient material 2. With this structure, it is possible to suppress the air from an air conditioner in a vehicle from directly flowing from the seating face to a sitting passenger, thereby preventing the excessive effect of the air conditioner in the vehicle. Further, the design of the entire seat can be enhanced.

Abstract: A corrosion resistant, martensitic stainless steel alloy is disclosed having the following composition in weight percent.______________________________________ wt. % ______________________________________ Carbon 0.06-0.10 Manganese 0.50 max. Silicon 0.40 max. Phosphorus 0.060 max. Sulfur 0.15-0.55 Chromium 12.00-12.60 Nickel 0.25 max. Molybdenum 0.10 max. Copper 0.50 max. Nitrogen 0.04 max. ______________________________________and the balance is essentially iron. This alloy provides a unique combination of form tool machinability, corrosion resistance, and hardenability, particularly in the annealed condition (100 HRB max.). The alloy is capable of being hardened to at least 35 HRC.

Abstract: A system and method for removing a coating from an elongated metal part or a bundle of such parts is described. The disclosed system includes a soaking vessel that contains a solution suitable for degreasing the metal part and softening the coating thereon. An ultrasonic cleaning vessel containing an aqueous cleaning solution cleans the coating off of the metal part by ultrasonic agitation. The system further includes at least one rinsing vessel for rinsing the cleaning solution of the cleaned part, and a drying vessel for rapidly and thoroughly drying the part after it has been rinsed. In the disclosed process, the elongated metal part, or a bundle of such parts, is/are soaked in a solution that is maintained at an elevated temperature for a time sufficient to soften the coating. The elongated metal part is then subjected to ultrasonic agitation in an aqueous cleaning solution bath at an elevated temperature for a time sufficient to loosen and dislodge the coating from the elongated metal part.

Abstract: An electronic device, such as an integrated circuit, hybrid circuit or a transistor, is enclosed within an electronic package or module so as to be protected from contaminants and the external environment. An electronic device according to the present invention is enclosed within a package or module having a lid that is sealed with an adhesive preform that has been pre-applied onto the bonding areas of the lid. The adhesive preforms are formed of a wet adhesive deposited on a release substrate as a preform in predetermined locations with respect to a set of reference guide holes so as to facilitate subsequent attachment to lids with pick-and-place equipment or a guide plate. The wet-adhesive preforms are B-staged or dried to form dry solid adhesive preforms through chemical cross-linking or solvent removal, respectively. In most applications, both the lids and the adhesive preforms are formed of electrically insulating materials.

Abstract: A catheter system facilitates blood treatments such as apheresis that require simultaneous withdrawal and return of blood to a patient at high flow rates. A multi-lumen catheter has an external coupling device connected to a pump and blood treatment device. All of the lumens are designed to be used in the blood treatment process. The catheter includes two or more lumens for withdrawing blood and a return lumen for returning treated blood. The combined flow resistance of the withdrawal lumens is less than or equal to the flow resistance of the return lumen so that the flow rate of blood through the withdrawal lumens does not require a pressure differential sufficient to collapse the lumens. High flow rates are achievable through the catheter by using a pair of withdrawal lumens instead of a single, large withdrawal lumen. The lumens may be used for general medical use when the catheter system is not being used for exchange treatments.

Abstract: A car locator is provided comprising a base for holding one or more LED light bars in position to mark the location of a vehicle. Each light bar includes a series of LEDS connected to a power source. The power source may include batteries mounted to or contained within the base. In addition, a selector switch may be mounted directly on the base to effect illumination of a selected combination of light bars. To facilitate replacement or substitution of different colored light bars, each light bar includes an end plug for plugging in and out of respective receptacles on the base.

Abstract: A seat covering tensioning clip for use to bridge a trimming wire provided on a seat covering and a spring supporting a seat pad or an insert wire embedded in the seat pad to thereby tension the seat covering, comprises an annular base, and a pair of J-shaped arms extending from the annular base in a nearly same direction, and each having a straight portion and an inwardly bent portion, the bent portions facing each other; the clip being adapted to receive each of the first and second object wires from between the bent portions thereof, thereafter the first object wire being securely retained in the annular base while the second object wire is securely caught between the bent portions superposed on each other.

Abstract: A controller for a digital processor includes a random access memory, e.g., an instruction memory, that consumes significant power when operating. To reduce the power consumption when repetitive instructions, i.e. loops, are being performed, the instructions being executed are stored in a shift register and, when a jump-back instruction is executed, the instructions, including those in the loop, are then accessed from the shift register rather than from the random access memory without any additional special instructions that define the characteristics of the loop. A memory control includes a state tracking machine that monitors the execution of the program instructions and determines from the execution of a jump-back instruction that a loop may have been entered, whereupon it enables the shift register to produce the instructions stored therein and disables the instruction memory from producing instructions that are stored in the shift register.

Abstract: A microfabricated device and method for electrokinetic transport of a liquid phase biological or chemical material is described. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention there is provided a microchip that is adapted for the simultaneous spatial confinement of electrokinetically driven fluidic material streams on a substrate. The apparatus includes a focusing chamber formed in a surface of the substrate and in fluid communication with two sample fluid channels and three focusing fluid channels. The device further includes electromotive means operatively connected to the sources of the sample fluid and the source of focusing fluid for electrokinetically driving the respective streams of the sample and focusing fluids through the respective channels into the focusing chamber such that the focusing fluid streams spatially confine the first and second sample fluid streams within the focusing chamber.

Abstract: A guide plate on the head of the flashlight provides an alignment feature which aligns a pair of flashlight charging contacts with a pair of terminals in charging unit for releasably holding the flashlight in its charging receptacle. The flashlight is held within the charging receptacle in a consistent orientation, so that the flashlight switch may be easily found when the flashlight is grasped. The charging receptacle grips the head portion of the flashlight with a pair of spring-loaded jaws. A battery assembly is provided which presents both positive and negative terminals at the forward end of the battery unit. Connections are made from the forward end of the battery to an interconnection module within the flashlight head assembly.