Abstract: A cutlery kit configured from a laminar sheet which manifests its previous use through the detachment of its parts. The kit is comprised of two or more daily, known utensils selected from a spoon, a fork and a knife, which are jointly located in a single plane and are separated by thin, continuous dotted or cut lines. The utensils fit into each other in a complementary form, counter-form way and remain joined together by the presence of continuities in the surface where these continuities interrupt the dotted lines. Each of these cutlery utensils is detached from the others through breaking, done by the user, of these continuities on the surface.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of pressure treating a bioactive composition comprising at least one bioactive component to prevent the growth of at least one unwanted microorganism while retaining a desired level activity of the at least one bioactive component. The bioactive component is selected from one or more proteins protein hydrolysates, one or more lipids or lipid hydrolysates, one or more carbohydrates, one or more probiotic factors, or mixtures thereof. The pressure treatment is at a predetermined pressure from about 350 to 1000 MPa.

Abstract: The present invention discloses an array of DNA fragments from biomining microorganisms and a method to identify readily and simultaneously said microorganisms in a sample. This method is a useful tool in biomining, in every circumstance where a global understanding of the present microbiological diversity is required, or simply to assess the presence of some microorganism with biomining relevance, either on the mineral, or in a bioleaching heap, in the biomining laboratory or in any other circumstance involving biomining microorgarisms.

Abstract: A method of designing oligonucleotides useful in molecular biology techniques as PCR primers or in other techniques as identification and/or quantification probes is disclosed. The method permits designing specific oligonucleotides for the identification of a determined sequence in a metagenomic sample. The method includes selecting or constructing a database of reference sequences, selecting a subset of sequences belonging to target organisms, selecting candidate oligonucleotides from such sequences, depurating these candidate oligonucleotides according to hybridization specificity and thermodynamic stability criteria, obtaining a list of designed oligonucleotides that fulfill the hybridization specificity and thermodynamic stability criteria, producing materially by chemical synthesis the designed oligonucleotides, and selecting the oligonucleotides which comply with the requirements of the desired process.

Abstract: An in-line method and apparatus for making a corrugated board and carton blanks from the corrugated board include: a laminating station for completing the formation of a corrugated board having a corrugated medium, an inner liner, and a printed outer liner; an adhesive setting station for curing adhesive in the corrugated board; and a creasing, cutting, and scrap removal station for repeatedly forming sets of fold lines and cuts in the corrugated board to make carton blanks. The sets of fold lines and cuts may be formed by rotary or flatbed dies and a control system properly locates the sets of fold lines and cuts and printed matter on the outer liner relative to each other on the carton blanks being formed.

Abstract: A package which is sealed with at least one baffled venting closure system, said baffled venting closure system being formed of at least two closure-lines which extend across the width of the package, and an air flow passage formed between the at least two closure-lines, wherein each of said closure-lines form one or more closure-line vents which allow air to vent out of the interior of the package into the air flow passage and out of the bag to the environment external to the package, and wherein at least one of said closure-lines has at least one wall segment parapeting said closure-line from the closure-line vent adjacent thereto.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of pressure treating a bioactive composition comprising at least one bioactive component to prevent the growth of at least one unwanted microorganism while retaining a desired level activity of the at least one bioactive component. The bioactive component is selected from one or more proteins protein hydrolysates, one or more lipids or lipid hydrolysates, one or more carbohydrates, one or more probiotic factors, or mixtures thereof. The pressure treatment is at a predetermined pressure from about 350 to 1000 MPa.

Abstract: Microorganisms are used in large-scale heap or tank aeration processes for the commercial extraction of a variety of metals from their ores or concentrates. These include copper, cobalt, gold and, in the past, uranium. The metal solubilization processes are considered to be largely chemical with the microorganisms providing the chemicals and the space (exopolysaccharide layer) where the mineral dissolution reactions occur. Temperatures at which these processes are carried out can vary from ambient to 80° C. and the types of organisms present depends to a large extent on the process temperature used. Irrespective of the operation temperature, biomining microbes have several characteristics in common. One shared characteristic is their ability to produce the ferric iron and sulfuric acid required to degrade the mineral and facilitate metal recovery. Other characteristics are their ability to grow autotrophically, their acid-tolerance and their inherent metal resistance or ability to acquire metal resistance.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method of treating a composition comprising metal ion lactoferrin and in particular to a method of pressure treating a composition comprising metal ion lactoferrin to prevent the growth of at least one unwanted microorganism while retaining a desired level of metal ion binding.

Abstract: An in-line method and apparatus for making a corrugated board and carton blanks from the corrugated board include: a laminating station for completing the formation of a corrugated board having a corrugated medium, an inner liner, and a printed outer liner; an adhesive setting station for curing adhesive in the corrugated board; and a creasing, cutting, and scrap removal station for repeatedly forming sets of fold lines and cuts in the corrugated board to make carton blanks. The sets of fold lines and cuts may be formed by rotary or flatbed dies and a control system properly locates the sets of fold lines and cuts and printed matter on the outer liner relative to each other on the carton blanks being formed.

Abstract: An aluminum-silicon alloy composition is disclosed which meets the manufacturing and performance conditions for linerless cylinder engine block casting using low-cost casting processes such as silica-sand molds. The alloy of the invention comprises in weight percent: 13%-14% Si; 2.3%-2.7% Cu; 0.1%-0.4% Fe; 0.1%-0.45% Mn; 0.1%-0.30% Mg; 0.1%-0.6% Zn; 0.05%-0.11 % Ti; 0.4%-0.8% Ni; 0.01%-0.09% Sr; and and the rest being aluminum plus any remainders. This alloy has very good machining characteristics, giving a significantly improved surface finish in the cylinder bores. The manufacturing cost of engine blocks is reduced in about 40% as compared with using current commercial alloys of the prior art requiring iron liners. Any primary Si present is substantially uniformly dispersed, and copper does not segregate during solidification and cooling.

Abstract: An in-line method and apparatus for making a corrugated board and carton blanks from the corrugated board include: a laminating station for completing the formation of a corrugated board having a corrugated medium, an inner liner, and a printed outer liner; an adhesive setting station for curing adhesive in the corrugated board; and a creasing, cutting, and scrap removal station for repeatedly forming sets of fold lines and cuts in the corrugated board to make carton blanks. The sets of fold lines and cuts may be formed by rotary or flatbed dies and a control system properly locates the sets of fold lines and cuts and printed matter on the outer liner relative to each other on the carton blanks being formed.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for securing a pedestal to a roof tile has a baseplate including a downwardly depending first hook at one end for receiving a first edge of the tile, an upwardly depending flange at an opposing end of the baseplate and a laterally extending stabilizer for engaging the surface of the tile. The mounting assembly includes a detachable bracket having an upwardly depending flange at one end and a downwardly depending second hook at an opposing end of the detachable bracket for receiving the second edge of the tile. The bracket is detachably coupled to the baseplate. The pedestal is secured to the baseplate.

Abstract: An effects generation system structured to produce a controlled special effects cloud and comprising a cryogenic fluid source including a container wherein a quantity of a cryogenic fluid is stored. The container includes a fluid outlet and a fluid inlet, the fluid inlet being disposed in fluid flow communication with a pressurization assembly that is structured to maintain an outflow of the cryogenic fluid, under pressure, through the fluid outlet and into a delivery assembly operatively connected with the fluid outlet and structured to deliver the cryogenic fluid into a predetermined area through a plurality of delivery ports and into reactive proximity with a quantity of a reactive fluid so as to bring about a phase change in the reactive fluid sufficient to result in the formation of the special effects cloud.

Abstract: A road marker having a remotely controllable display includes a shell, a light panel, a power source, a receiver and a controller. The shell has at least one lens. The light panel emits light through the lens. The power source provides electricity for operation of the light panel. The receiver receives control signals from a remote control system. The controller controls the light emitted by the light panel in accordance with the control signals from the remote control system.

Abstract: A display assembly includes a translucent signboard, a housing and a light source. The housing has a base, a cover and a pair of lateral covers fixedly secured to each other to define a rectangular opening for supporting the signboard therein. The light source is fixedly secured to an inner surface of one of the base, cover and lateral covers for illuminating the signboard. A method for manufacturing the housing includes the step of extruding frame members and cutting the frame members to length to form the base, cover, and lateral covers.

Abstract: An in-line method and apparatus for making a corrugated board and carton blanks from the corrugated board include: a laminating station for completing the formation of a corrugated board having a corrugated medium, an inner liner, and a printed outer liner; an adhesive setting station for curing adhesive in the corrugated board; and a creasing, cutting, and scrap removal station for repeatedly forming sets of fold lines and cuts in the corrugated board to make carton blanks. The sets of fold lines and cuts may be formed by rotary or flatbed dies and a control system properly locates the sets of fold lines and cuts and printed matter on the outer liner relative to each other on the carton blanks being formed.

Abstract: A mounting assembly for securing a pedestal to a roof tile has a baseplate including a downwardly depending first hook at one end for receiving a first edge of the tile, an upwardly depending flange at an opposing end of the baseplate and a laterally extending stabilizer for engaging the surface of the tile. The mounting assembly includes a detachable bracket having an upwardly depending flange at one end and a downwardly depending second hook at an opposing end of the detachable bracket for receiving the second edge of the tile. The bracket is detachably coupled to the baseplate. The pedestal is secured to the baseplate.

Abstract: A method for determining the concentration of a monitored gas in the head space of a confined space containing a medium material at a given temperature (T.sub.1), includes the steps of: (a) providing an extracting apparatus having a chamber for receiving a sample volume of the material to be extracted from the confined space; (b) controlling the temperature of the chamber such that the temperature of the chamber is maintained at the given temperature (T.sub.