Abstract: The invention is directed to a process for the aerobic purification of waste water in a reactor containing unsupported granular active sludge. The oxygen necessary for maintaining aerobic conditions within the reactor is provided in the form of an oxygen-containing gas. The oxygen-containing gas is preferably introduced into the reactor at such a place that the oxygen-containing gas provides at least some mixing action in the reactor. The invention also provides a reactor suitable for this process.

Abstract: Rubber-modified, impact-resistant polystyrene resin compositions having a well balanced combination of improved properties such as tensile strength and tensile elongation as well as reactivity with styrene monomers, impact resistance, low-temperature properties, and gloss, comprise dispersed particles of a rubber polymer which satisfies the following: (1) the content of the rubber polymer in the compositions is from 1 to 25% by weight; (2) the rubber polymer is a high-cis high-vinyl polybutadiene comprising from 65 to 95% cis-1,4-structures and from 30 to 4% 1,2-structures; and (3) the relationship between the 1,4-structures and 1,2-structures of the rubber polymer is represented by the following expression (A), wherein the value of .beta. is in the range of 1.0<.beta..ltoreq.1.43;.beta.=P.sub.1,2-,1-4 /(2.times.P.sub.1,2 .times.P.sub.1,4)(A)wherein P.sub.1,2 represents the content of 1,2-structures, P.sub.1,4 represents the content of 1,4-structures, and P.sub.

Abstract: An electrode for a battery with small variations in the discharge capacity and excellent reliability is disclosed. It comprises a sheet of porous metal substrate having three-dimensional communicating spaces for containing an active material. The substrate has a layer filled with the active material and occupying most of the thickness of the electrode, and a layer of current collector composed of a metallic foil which is not filled with active material and has reduced porosity.

Abstract: Butterfly-type wringer mops each include a mop handle having an elongated direction, a receiver immovably coupled to one longitudinal end of the handle and a mop head pivotally attached to the receiver The mop head includes a central member pivotally mounted to the receiver. First and second paddles are pivotally coupled with opposing lateral sides of the central member. The central member and paddles can receive and support an elongated absorbent element. The mop further includes a wringer having one end pivotally coupled to one of the receiver and the central member so as to pivot between a retracted position and an extended position. The wringer includes a pair of spaced apart arms which deflect the paddles from initial positions generally coplanar with one another and transverse to the elongated direction of the mop handle to rotated positions generally side by side parallel to one another as the wringer moves between retracted and extended positions.

Abstract: A sampling device for molten metals, especially for molten cast iron or pig iron, has a sampling chamber arranged in a refractory body mounted on a carrier. The sampling chamber is bounded on two opposing walls by one metal plate each, and has at least one inlet opening for molten metal on a further wall. In order to create a sampling device with which samples are obtained which have the best possible white solidification and at the same time have the sturdiness necessary for an automatic sample analysis, a metal disk is separably arranged in the interior of the sampling chamber on at least one of the two metal plates. The diameter of metal disk is smaller than the diameter of the sampling chamber, and the thickness of the disk is less than the thickness of the sampling chamber.

Abstract: A decorative film is provided which has a heat-activatable transfer layer for affixation to a substrate to be decorated. The film includes a carrier sheet and a transfer layer in contact with the carrier sheet. The transfer layer includes a decorative layer and a heat-activatable adhesive layer for affixing the film to a substrate, wherein the heat-activatable adhesive layer is a solidified layer of a molten adhesive formulation. In a method of making such a decorative film, a thermoplastic adhesive formulation is heated to a temperature in excess of the softening temperature of the thermoplastic in the formulation to form a molten adhesive formulation, which is then applied to a decorative layer on the carrier sheet thereby forming a transfer layer having a transfer surface. The second surface of the carrier sheet and the transfer surface are chilled.

Abstract: Apparatus and a process are provided for converting and/or removing harmful constituents from solid hazardous or other undesirable waste material by heating the waste in a reactor in the presence of a continuous flow of oxygen and waste metals, wherein the waste material becomes a molten metal oxide bath which when solidified, has a spinel structure to chemically bond harmful constituents within the spinel structure by crystal chemical substitution. The resulting metal oxides are environmentally acceptable. A substantially gaseous effluent which may contain particulate material is also generated. The effluent is conducted through a high temperature zone to destroy organic and other harmful constituents influenced by temperature and dwell time. The effluent is further processed through an emissions treatment system to achieve acceptable environmental quality.

Abstract: The invention relates to an isolated nucleic acid encoding Streptococcus pneumoniae IgA protease and an isolated polypeptide comprising Streptococcus pneumoniae IgA protease and methods of use thereof.

Abstract: A method for cutting a pork butt to provide pork products having substantially enhanced value involves first removing the blade bone from the pork butt. The principal shoulder muscles of the pork butt are located and identified and one or more seams extending around portions of at least one of the muscles is cut to remove at least one principal shoulder muscle from the remainder of the pork butt. The removed shoulder muscle is denuded by removing substantially all cartilage, fat, connective tissue, membrane, and other non-muscle material from each outer surface to provide essentially a solid pork muscle. The denuded shoulder muscle is cut into one or more generally solid pork products, each pork product being very low in fat content and of relatively high economic value. Each of the pork products is tenderized prior to being offered for sale.

Abstract: Improvements in the disperse dyeing process for hydrophobic textiles by the use of novel dye carrier formulations are disclosed. The carrier composition for use in disperse dyeing of hydrophobic textile material preferably comprises an alkylphthalimide carrier component and a clay dispersing agent. Dye baths and methods of disperse dyeing of a hydrophobic textile material are also disclosed. The use of clay as a dispersing agent allows for the use of carrier compositions with reduced health and environmental hazards without adversely affecting dyeing characteristics.

Abstract: A gas charged fluid flow line of a dry pipe sprinkler system is continuously monitored to detect rate of loss of pressure (dp/dt). The rate of pressure loss is used to detect whether there is an open sprinkler head in a sprinkler grid of the system. Detection of an open sprinkler head and opening of a dry valve may occur in a matter of a few seconds, allowing for a quick response to a fire condition and accurate discrimination of a pressurized gas leak condition. The system may operate at charge pressures in the range of about 7 psig to about 15 psig.

Abstract: An LED printer includes a printing control unit and an LED head. When a video signal received at the control unit has a higher resolution than the LED head, the control unit carries out the logical AND between successive bit data of the video signal to convert the video signal to a first signal. Corresponding to a line timing signal, this first signal is transferred as a head data signal to the LED head and is then printed on a basic raster scanning line. Further, the control unit also carries out the exclusive-OR between the successive bit data of the video signal so that the video signal is converted to a second signal and outputted to a line buffer. Corresponding to an additional line timing signal, the second signal is transferred as another head data signal to the LED head and is printed on an additional raster scanning line. The LED head drive energy for performing printing along the basic raster scanning line is set independently.

Abstract: Disclosed is a molding material which can be easily decomposed by using an alkaline solution. This molding material comprises, as a binder, a thermosetting composition of an unsaturated polyester, an addition-polymerizable monomer and a low shrink agent, the addition-polymerizable monomer containing a monomer having an affinity for alkaline solution. As the addition-polymerizable monomer, there can be used a compound having an ethylene bond and a carbonyl or sulfonyl group, e.g. carboxylic and sulfonic acids, and metal salts, esters and acid anhydrides of these acids. There is also disclosed a molded motor comprising a molded part of an iron core, a winding and the above molding material, the molded part being integrally molded so as to coat at least one part of the iron core and winding with the molding material.

Abstract: A digital convergence correction device converts correction data into serial data by using a parallel/serial converter, and further converts the serial data into an analog correction signal by using a serial input type digital/analog converter, and outputs the analog correction signal in order to correct misconvergence.

Abstract: A device (1) serves for creating perforations, borings or perfusion channels in the heart wall (2), especially in the myocardium, for generating channels running in the heart wall (2) for supplying it with blood. So that the chest cavity need not be opened in an operation for introducing such perforations, the device (1) has a catheter (4) introducible intracardially into the heart (3), which has at least one electrode or pole on its operating end and has a connection of this electrode or pole to a high frequency generator (5). Moreover, this distal operating end has at least one needle (6) insertible into the heart wall (2) from the inside, which needle functions as a coagulation tool, so that the lumen of the channel generated by it remains open and can be supplied with fresh blood from the interior of the heart (3).

Abstract: An optical near-field probe (1) includes a carrier component (10), which carries a tip (40), and has only one membrane (11, 20), transparent at least in the area of the tip (40), which is mounted on the light emission surface (9) of an optical waveguide (2) that is made of a rigid material such as glass or plastic. The dimensions of the membrane (11, 20), at least in one direction in the membrane plane, are less than or equal to the diameter of the optical waveguide (2). To position the tip (40) over the core (3) of the optical waveguide (2), optical methods can be used or the membrane and optical waveguide can be provided with locating elements.

Abstract: The present invention is based on the discovery, isolation, sequencing and characterization of two protease genes present in B.t. One is an alkaline protease gene generally designated "apr." The other is a neutral protease gene generally designated "npr." The invention also includes genetically disabling the apr and the npr genes to reduce proteolytic activity of the proteases encoded by the genes, and using the disabled genes in insecticidal B.t. constructs along with one or more B.t. protein toxin genes. These resulting B.t. constructs are useful for the enhanced production of B.t. toxin protein. The B.t. toxin protein recovered from the fermentation production of these B.t. constructs also exhibits improved stability with respect to its insecticidal activity.