Abstract: An improved gas phase synthesized diamond, CBN, BCN, or CN thin film having a modified region in which strain, defects, color and the like are reduced and/or eliminated. The thin film can be formed on a substrate or be a free-standing thin film from which the substrate has been removed. The thin film can be stably and reproducibly modified to have an oriented polycrystal structure or a single crystal structure. The thin film is modified by being subjected to and heated by microwave irradiation in a controlled atmosphere. The thin film has a modified region in which a line width of the diamond spectrum evaluated by Raman spectroscopy of 0.1 microns or greater is substantially constant along a film thickness direction of the thin film, and the line width of the modified region is 85% or less of a maximum line width of the residual portion of the film thickness.

Abstract: A sputtering target is provided which provides early stabilization of the film-deposition rate of the sputtering target from its initial stage of use. The sputtering target surface subjected to erosion is formed with a surface-deformed layer. The surface-deformed layer is reduced by precision machining and removed by etching. The extent of etching is controlled so that the surface roughness (Ra) is in a range between 0.1% and 10% of the mean crystal grain diameter of the material constituting the target. The surface roughness (Ra) is defined as the mean roughness on the center line of the surface.

Abstract: There is provided a high-purity ruthenium sputtering target with a low impurity content, in particular producing extremely few particles, which is suitable for applications such as the formation of semiconductor thin films. The high-purity ruthenium sputtering target is manufactured by feeding crude ruthenium powder into a sodium hydroxide solution; blowing an ozone-containing gas while or after blowing chlorine gas into the solution to form ruthenium tetroxide; absorbing the ruthenium tetroxide in a hydrochloric acid solution or a mixed solution of hydrochloric acid and ammonium chloride, and evaporating the solution to dryness; sintering the resultant ruthenium salt in a hydrogen atmosphere to form high-purity ruthenium powder; and hot-pressing the ruthenium powder into a sputtering target.

Abstract: A novel adenovirus E1/E4 expressing packaging cell line is provided, which permits the generation of recombinant adenoviruses deleted in both gene regions. The E1/E4 deleted recombinant adenovirus is capable of expressing a selected transgene product in cells in vivo or in vitro. This recombinant virus is useful in the treatment of genetic disorders.

Abstract: An adjustable-pitch sectional roof ridge vent formed as a one-piece, plastic, injection-molded body having an elongate top wall and a pair of opposed outer sidewalls depending outwardly and downwardly from peripheral longitudinal edges of the top wall. Each of the outer sidewalls has a lowermost edge, a plurality of ventilation openings, and an upturned flange projecting from the lowermost edge. The vent has a pair of opposed, integrally-formed end walls which depend from opposite ends of the top wall and which are each formed by a plurality of separate, spaced apart wall segments extending across the end of the top wall in substantially end-to-end single file alignment. Each pair of adjacent wall segments are spaced apart to form an open gap therebetween to enable ready flexing of the vent, and selected ones of the wall segments have an undulating configuration such that they interconnect to the top wall via a sinusoidal shaped juncture.

Abstract: A fault protective device (48) for limiting the maximum current and voltage applicable to electronic components and wiring (26, 30) located in the fuel tank (10) of an aircraft. Particularly, a fuel gauging system circuit (18) extends from a generator (20) located outside the tank to at least one probe (14) located in the tank and from the probe to instrumentation (24) outside the tank. The device is electrically coupled to the circuit at the tank wall (28) and includes a voltage clamp (50) and series inductor-capacitor resonant circuit (46), so that the resonant circuit provides a low series impedance when applied with a signal at the operating frequency of the input signal applied by the generator but provides a high series impedance when experiencing a signal of a different frequency indicative of a system fault.

Abstract: This invention relates to synthetic polynucleotides which encode lysyl oxidase, lysyl oxidase like molecules or variants of these species. The synthetic polynucleotides of the invention permit the expression of functional lysyl oxidase, lysyl oxidase like molecules or variants of these species, typically in good yield. The invention also relates to recombinant DNA molecules containing these, synthetic polynucleotides, to cells containing them and to uses of the expression products.

Abstract: Methods for efficient production of recombinant AAV are described. In one aspect, three vectors are introduced into a host cell. A first vector directs expression of cre recombinase, a second vector contains a promoter, a spacer sequence flanked by loxP sites and rep/cap, and a third vector contains a minigene containing a transgene and regulatory sequences flanked by AAV ITRs. In another aspect, the host cell stably or inducibly expresses cre recombinase and two vectors carrying the other elements of the system are introduced into the host cell.

Abstract: An ergonomically friendly container having hot-fill capabilities is disclosed. The container has a dome with grip surfaces that undergo controlled deformation for accommodating a portion of the volumetric shrinkage due to hot filling, capping and cooling. Preferably, a major portion of each grip surface is circumscribed by a brow rib which prevents unwanted dome distortion while permitting an amount of controlled vacuum absorption. In addition, the container body is provided with vacuum flex panels of at least two different sizes which enable the grip surfaces to be located close to the center of gravity of a filled container to provide balanced pouring of the contents from the container.

Abstract: An adenovirus E1/E4 expressing packaging cell line is provided, which permits the generation of recombinant adenoviruses deleted in both gene regions. A method for enhancing the efficiency of transduction of a recombinant AAV into a target cell is provided by infecting a target cell with a recombinant AAV comprising a selected transgene under the control of regulatory sequences. The infected cell is contacted with an agent which facilitates the conversion of single stranded recombinant virus to its double stranded form.

Abstract: An Ni—Fe alloy material suitable for forming a ferromagnetic Ni—Fe alloy thin film is provided. The magnetic thin film produces a small number of particles during sputtering, and excels in corrosion resistance and magnetic properties. A method of manufacturing an Ni—Fe alloy sputtering target used to make the thin film is also provided. In addition, an Ni—Fe alloy sputtering target for forming magnetic thin films is provided. The sputtering target is characterized in that it has: an oxygen content of 50 ppm or less; an S content of 10 ppm or less; a carbon content of 50 ppm or less, and a total content of metal impurities other than the alloy components of 50 ppm or less. Such an Ni—Fe alloy target can be produced by melting and alloying high-purity materials obtained by dissolving the raw materials in hydrochloric acid, and performing ion exchange, activated-charcoal treatment, and electrolytic refining.

Abstract: An adenovirus E1/E4 expressing packaging cell line is provided, which permits the generation of recombinant adenoviruses deleted in both gene regions. A method for enhancing the efficiency of transduction of a recombinant AAV into a target cell is provided by infecting a target cell with a recombinant AAV comprising a selected transgene under the control of regulatory sequences. The infected cell is contacted with an agent which facilitates the conversion of single stranded recombinant virus to its double stranded form.

Abstract: An inner curing envelope for use during a tire retreading process. The inner curing envelope is placed within the inside of a tire casing and cooperates with an outer sealing envelope for encasing a tire. A plurality of grooves are molded in a tire confronting face of the inner curing envelope to provide passageways to ensure that air/gas located adjacent the interior surface of the tire casing is completely evacuated when a vacuum is drawn within the envelopes.

Abstract: Synthetic peptide antigen analogues of native peptide antigens with partial or complete retro, inverso or retro-inverso modifications are provided. When administered as an immunogen to an immunocompetent host the synthetic peptide antigen analogues induce the production of antibodies which recognize the native peptide antigen. Uses of these analogues, vaccines and methods of preparing vaccines comprising these antigen analogues, and antibodies generated using these antigen analogues are also provided.

Abstract: An ergonomically friendly container (10, 30) having hot-fill capabilities is disclosed. The container (10, 30) has a pre-ovalized dome (14, 34) with grip surfaces (20, 21, 40, 42) that undergo controlled deformation for accommodating a portion of the volumetric shrinkage due to hot-filling, capping, and cooling. Preferably, anti-racking ribs (32a, 32b) extend laterally between the grip surfaces (20, 21, 40, 42) to prevent unwanted racking or twisting of the dome (14, 34) during vacuum absorption.

Abstract: A method for providing a waterborne, inorganic barrier coating to a polyolefin substrate is described. The method involves applying a primer composition containing a vinyl polymer, wherein at least 75% of the polymer repeat units contain side groups having hydroxyl moieties, to the substrate. This primer coating facilitates the application and binding of the subsequently applied barrier coating composition to the substrate.

Abstract: The present invention provides a hybrid vector construct which comprises a portion of an adenovirus, 5′ and 3′ ITR sequences from an AAV, and a selected transgene. Also provided is a hybrid virus linked via a polycation conjugate to an AAV rep gene to form a single particle. These trans-infection particles are characterized by high titer transgene delivery to a host cell and the ability to stably integrate the transgene into the host cell chromosome. Also disclosed is the use of the hybrid vectors and viruses to produce large quantities of recombinant AAV.

Abstract: A dry, concentrated, fertilizer which is readily water-soluble and a method of applying the solubilized dilute fertilizer to crops to enhance crop production are described. The dry fertilizer contains a contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium compounds, as well as a mixture of plant growth stimulators including at least one of each of growth promoters, vitamins, amino acids, carbohydrates/polysaccharides, and adjuvants.

Abstract: A transgenic mouse characterized by a lack of endogenous SPARC expression is provided. This mouse and tissue cultures derived therefrom provide useful models for testing drugs, particularly those useful in promoting or retarding wound healing and drugs useful for treating or preventing cataracts, diabetes mellitus, or osteoporosis. Also provided are methods of treating conditions characterized by overexpression or underexpression of SPARC.