Abstract: A preferred method wherein 5-phenyl-4-pentenyl-hydroperoxide (PPHP) is reduced to 5-phenyl-4-pentenyl-alcohol (PPA) by plant and animal peroxidases in the presence of reducing substrates is described. The method also uses related homologs containing 3 to 8 carbon atoms. PHP and PPA are rapidly isolated with solid phase extraction, separated by isocrated reverse phase high performance liquid chromatography, and quantitated with a fixed-wavelength ultraviolet detector. The procedure described in suitable for detecting peroxide reducing enzymes, determining the kinetic properties of heme- and non-heme-containing peroxidases, and evaluating oxidizable compounds as reducing substrates for peroxidases. The method identifies compounds which are reducing substrates and also ranks them for relative activity. The method can be used to identify active antithrombotic, antimetastatic, or anti-inflammatory drugs as substrates as well as detect and characterize mammalian peroxidases.

Abstract: A monoclonal antibody having specificity for an antigenic determinant of a B-type blood cell. The monoclonal anti-B, produced by a hybridoma cell (the preparation of which is described), affords a defined, specific and cheap blood grouping reagent. The monoclonal antibody is defined by its specificity and functional affinity.

Abstract: The Clostridium acetobutylicum mutant IFP 904 (ATCC 39058) is obtained by spreading a culture of a strain of Clostridium acetobutylicum at the surface of a solid culture medium containing n-butanol at a specified concentration, growing the strain in the presence of a mutagenic agent and recovering a strain of increased resistance to n-butanol. The resultant mutant can be used to produce a mixture of butanol and acetone of increased concentration.

Abstract: This invention discloses the use of marker genes which do not involve antibiotics for environmental tracking of microorganisms. Such marker genes include chromogenic marker genes, and marker genes that allow a cell to proliferate on media containing a sole nutrient source which cannot be utilized by untransformed cells. Genetic transformation using such marker genes is used to create cells with two or more phenotypic traits that do not coexist in natural, untransformed cells. As one example, pseudonomad cells have been transformed with beta-galactosidase and lactose permease genes, to create cells which are (1) fluorescent, (2) able to hydrolyze X-gal or ONPG, and (3) capable of proliferation on lactose as a sole carbon source. Such cells are useful as soil inoculants, and their descendants can be tracked by using these characteristics. The marker genes may be placed under the control of inducible promoters.

Abstract: A glucosamine derivative is disclosed, represented by formula (I) ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 independently represent a halogen atom or a nitro group. A reagent for assaying N-acetyl-.beta.-D-glucosaminidase containing the glucosamine derivative as a substrate can assay a number of specimens with high sensitivity and accuracy in a short period of time.

Abstract: The provision of Cephalosporium acremonium resistant to the aminoglycoside G418 allows the use of this aminoglycoside as a marker to select aminogylcoside-resistant cells of Cephalosporium acremonium from non-resistant cells of Cephalosporium acremonium. Aminoglycoside resistance can be imparted by transformation of Cephalosporium acremonium with a suitable vector.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the determination of peroxidase by the addition of a peroxide and of a chromogen and measurement of the color resulting from the oxidation of the chromogen, the color formation being stopped after a definite time by the addition of a stop agent, wherein catalase is used as stop agent.

Abstract: The invention relates to a test strip for taking of daily blood sugar profiles, and also for glucose determination in urine for determining the individual kidney threshold of a diabetic as a daily profile, which finds use in glucose diagnosis.The objective of the invention is to stabilize the test strip in its function and to adapt it to customary measuring instruments, and this is achieved by attaching a film reaction membrane to a carrier, wherein the membrane was post treated with a complexing agent and an acyclic hydroxyamine or amino derivative.

Abstract: An ethanol-producing plant and a method is provided for producing ethanol from sugars, starches, or cellulose. Some ethanol-producing plants consume more thermal energy than they produce. The present invention solves the efficiency problem by utilizing an internal combustion engine with high-efficiency mechanical drives for providing the mechanical power requirements of the ethanol-producing plant and by utilizing the thermal energy of engine coolant and exhaust to provide some, or all, of the thermal energy requirements of the ethanol-producing plant. The method includes electrically loading the internal combustion engine to increase the thermal losses of the engine to equal the thermal energy requirements of the steps of the ethanol-producing process.

Abstract: A process for manufacture of fermented whey having a high concentration of divalent ion propionate is disclosed in which a whey medium having a solids content ranging from about 0.5% to about 18% by weight is prefermented with a galactose and glucose utilizing lactic acid producing organism, neutralized with a divalent metallic ion hydroxide and sterilized. The sterilized medium is then inoculated with a propionic acid-producing bacterium and incubated for a sufficient period of time to produce a high concentration of divalent metallic ion propionate. The divalent metallic ion is preferably calcium, and the whey medium preferably contains yeast extract.

Abstract: It has been a problem that the chemiluminescent emission produced by the peroxidase-catalyzed oxidation of a 2,3-dihydro-1,4-phthalazinedione is often weak or gives a poor signal-background ratio and therefore does not give the high degree of sensitivity required for assay purposes, particularly for assay of peroxidase used to label a reagent for example in ELISA. The present invention solves the problem by the finding the certain narrowly defined aromatic amines are enhancers of the reaction and accordingly provides for their use in an assay and kit. The amines are of general formula (I) ##STR1## wherein the R symbols (that is, R, R.sup.1, R.sup.2, R.sup.3, R.sup.4, R.sup.5 and R.sup.6) have any of the meanings (a) to (j) given below, all other R symbols in each meaning are hydrogen atoms and the fused rings are to be read in the same configurational sense as formula I:(a) R=R.sup.1 =CH.sub.3 ; R.sup.4 = ##STR2## (b) R.sup.4 = ##STR3## cyclohexyl, or alkyl or alkoxy having 1 to 4 carbon atoms (c) R.sup.2, R.

Abstract: A culture container having a convenient size for use under a conventional microscope stage. The container having media of a composition and amount effective to induce germ tube production in Cryptococcus. The media, which includes purified saponin, oxgall, a substrate for phenol oxidase, water and ammonia ions, is in an amount up to 5 milliliters at a depth up to 4.5 milliliters.

Abstract: A tetrazolium-based system for testing for the presence of organisms or cells in a specimen includes in one embodiment a mixture of a substrate and an indicator system, wherein the overall system is buffered to a pH above 8.0, and in a preferred embodiment at about a pH of 9.0 when mixed. The substrate solution and indicator solution are not mixed until shortly before use. The indicator solution is buffered at a pH of approximately 3.3, thereby enhancing the shelf life. The substrate may consist of glucose with at least one amino acid in a buffered solution formulated such that, by mixing equal parts with the indicator solution, a pH above 8, preferably 9.0 results.

Abstract: A process for increasing the resistance of Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and Bacillus subtilis to As (III) and As (V) by plasmid transformation.

Abstract: Contaminating amounts of certain halogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons are degraded and removed from water such as drinking water and industrial waste water, by treatment of the water with a microorganism that is effective to metabolize gaseous hydrocarbons by the action of monooxygenase enzyme.

Abstract: An enzyme, phosphofructokinase is now found to be applicable to detection of a phosphofructokinase-inhibitor possibly present in supravital serum sample or other body fluid sample as collected from human person. When an abnormally high content or potency of the phosphofructokinase-inhibitor is detected in the body fluid samples such as serum by means of the phosphofructokinase, it indicates probability of presence of malignant neoplasms in the donor for the samples, usefully for diagnosis of the neoplasms.

Abstract: A method for predicting the future acceptability of coarsely ground beef after regrinding and aerobic storage under specified conditions of time and temperature by measurement of the concentration of lactic acid in the sample is described. The method includes the steps of setting up a data base which relates the values of the initial concentration of lactic acid in samples of coarsely ground beef to odor acceptability of the samples after regrinding and aerobic storage for specified conditions of time and temperature, and measuring the initial lactic acid in the test sample and predicting future acceptability with reference to the data base. Based on the prediction value, a decision is made whether the beef is acceptable for the intended purpose.

Abstract: A process for the determination of the toxicity preventing activity (TPA) of human blood serum, i.e., the effectiveness of the serum in preventing or inhibiting the destructive effect of very low density lipoproteins (VLDL) on test cells, and the use of this TPA value for classifying the serum as to atherosclerosis risk or potential. The process comprises:(a) providing a culture of cells which are injured by elevated levels of VLDL;(b) adding thereto a toxic quantity of VLDL and a selected quantity of human blood serum;(c) maintaining the culture for a known period; and(d) determining the cell growth of the culture and relating the same to the cell growth of a reference culture.

Abstract: A test kit and method is disclosed for the semi-quantitative detection of Streptococcus mutans from the oral cavity of a patient. Saliva from a patient is introduced into a diluent solution to which has been added just before the saliva a predetermined powdered amount of bacitracin. Then the diluent solution is contacted with a sterile media-coated paddle, the media-coated paddle containing the diluent and test saliva is incubated, and Streptococcus mutans in the test saliva is semi-quantitively determined by comparing the percent of colony density with a standard Streptococcus mutan colony density chart.

Abstract: Arrangement for the treatment of fluent, thin and highly viscous media, particularly for the fermentation of micro organisms, for mixing, pumping and the dissipation of the medium. The arrangement is based on a novel principle of bladeless mixing and pumping of fluent media of any kind and density. The main part of the arrangement is a hollow rotor with a bottom with at least a single inlet opening in the bottom. The rotor is rotated at a speed at which the treated medium due to centrifugal forces proceeds from one end of the rotor to the other one. The medium is discharged from the rotor through one or more outlet openings in the sides or in the top of the rotor; the medium is either only raised, or is also dissipated below or above the level of the fluent medium.