Abstract: A medical breath component analyzer which maintains a data-base profile of a patient over time. The apparatus may be used chronically by a patient so that a baseline status for that patient may be determined. Acute variations from the baseline are identified as clinically significant. The acquired data can be reported to the patient using the device at home and transmitted electronically to a physician or health care provider. The method and apparatus helps a patient modify health related behaviors, particularly weight loss for diabetic patients. A breath component and information on the psychological or emotional state of the patient are correlated, and information is provided to the patient based on the correlation between the breath component and the patient's emotional state. Other physiologic parameter may also be measured, such as a blood component, temperature, cardiovascular condition or pulse rate, a urine component, a physical activity sensor, weight, or body fat composition sensor.

Abstract: Porous composite membranes are prepared by depositing spherical polymeric particles on the surface of a porous flat sheet or hollow fiber substrate and subsequently stabilizing the composite by physical or chemical means.

Abstract: A medical breath component analyzer which maintains a data-base profile of a patient over time. The apparatus may be used chronically by a patient so that a baseline status for that patient may be determined. Acute variations from the baseline are identified as clinically significant. The acquired data can be reported to the patient using the device at home and transmitted electronically to a physician or health care provider. The method and apparatus helps a patient modify health related behaviors, particularly weight loss for diabetic patients. A breath component and information on the psychological or emotional state of the patient are correlated, and information is provided to the patient based on the correlation between the breath component and the patient's emotional state. Other physiologic parameter may also be measured, such as a blood component, temperature, cardiovascular condition or pulse rate, a urine component, a physical activity sensor, weight, or body fat composition sensor.

Abstract: A medical breath component analyzer which maintains a data-base profile of a patient over time. The apparatus may be used chronically by a patient so that a baseline status for that patient may be determined. Acute variations from the baseline are identified as clinically significant. The acquired data can be reported to the patient using the device at home and transmitted electronically to a physician or health care provider. Multiple tests may be provided, ranging from quantitative tests to qualitative tests to quantitative approximations using qualitative devices. A set of tests is selected for a particular patient, and may be customized to the patient's condition. One of the tests may include passing multiple laser beams of differing wavelengths through a breath sample and using pattern recognition to correlate from spectral analysis of all the laser beams.

Abstract: The present invention provides for a process for preparing hollow polymer latexes by a one stage emulsion polymerization. The first step invloves introducing an effective amount of a first charge of a organic phase to an aqueous phase. The first charge of the organic phase comprises monomer which is vertually insoluble in the aqeuous phase and an inert-nonpolymerizable hydrocarbon. The polymer formed from polymerizing the monomer is virtually insoluble in the hydrocarbon, the hydrocarbon is virtually insoluble in the aqueous phase and the monomer is miscible with the hydrocarbon. The monomer is polymerized to produce a low molecular weight polymer such that the low molecular weight polymer will phase separate from the organic phase and conentrates at the surface of the introduced organic phase forming a low molecular weight polymer phase.

Abstract: A latex partice comprising a vinyl aromatic monomer and an vinyl acrylate ester monomer which is modified by a protein binding modifying monomer to facilitate the binding of a protein via coupling techniques. These latex particles are useful in diagnostic test applications. The vinyl acrylate ester monomer and a vinyl aromatic monomer are dispersed in a ratio between 1:3 to 3:1 of vinyl acrylate ester monomer to vinyl aromatic monomer in an aqueous phase containing a protein binding modifying monomer. The protein modifying monomer can be a vinyl carboxylic acid, such as a acrylic acid in a concentration of from about 0.5 percent to about 10 percent of the monomers. The dispersion is subjected to emulsion polymerization to provide a latex particle in a size range from 0.1 to 1 micron. The latex particle is sensitized with an antibody or antigen via coupling techniques.

Abstract: Crude aminomethanols are converted to salt form by the addition of a strong acid and subsequently distilled under vacuum. The resulting purified aminomethanol is essentially free of unreacted aldehydes and other volatile impurities.

Abstract: A gatherer device for fruits, nuts, etc., which is made of wire shaped to form a basket which includes tines that are shaped to guide the fruit into the basket as the device is pushed along the ground in the direction of the fruit. The wires are connected together side-by-side on their upper length and the wires are shaped and spaced such that the fruit does not fall from the basket as the fruit is gathered.

Abstract: Water-immiscible, acid-soluble N-(aminomethyl)-.alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxamides such as N-(diethylaminomethyl)acrylamide are readily prepared by (1) reacting under acidic conditions a carboxamide such as acrylamide with a lower aldehyde such as formaldehyde and a moderately water-soluble secondary amine such as diethylamine and (2) recovering the resulting water-immiscible aminomethyl derivative of carboxamide from the acidic reaction mixture by adjusting the pH of the reaction mixture to a value of 7 or higher, whereby the water-immiscible derivative separates from the reaction mixture.

Abstract: N-(aminomethyl)-.alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxamides such as N-(dimethylaminomethyl)acrylamide are readily prepared without coincident production of saturated impurities by reacting at a pH below 7 an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxamide such as acrylamide or N-substituted derivative such as N-methylolacrylamide with a secondary amine such as dimethylamine, and a lower aldehyde such as formaldehyde when such is required. The resulting aminomethyl carboxamides are polymerized at a pH of 7 or less to form polymers containing essentially no gelled product.

Abstract: In the recovery of hydrocarbon materials from subterranean formations, the simultaneous production or loss of other fluids such as water is inhibited by the selective introduction into the subterranean porous structure of discrete spheroidal microgels of a water-swollen or water-swellable, crosslinked polymer such as crosslinked polyacrylamide.

Abstract: In a process for preparing a N-substituted derivative of a carboxamide, the conversion of carboxamide to the derivative is determined by carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance analysis (CMR) wherein the intensities of the carbonyl carbon peaks attributable to the carboxamide and the derivative are measured under conditions of magnetic resonance and the mole ratio of carboxamide to derivative is determined by comparing the intensities of said carbonyl carbon peaks.For example, in the reaction of polyacrylamide with a secondary amine such as dimethylamine and formaldehyde, the conversion of the polyacrylamide to its N-(dimethylaminomethyl) derivative is determined by subjecting the sample to CMR analysis and comparing the intensities of the carbonyl carbon peaks of the polyacrylamide and the N-(dimethylaminomethyl) derivative.

Abstract: In the recovery of hydrocarbon materials from subterranean formations, the simultaneous production or loss of other fluids such as water is inhibited by the selective introduction into the subterranean porous structure of discrete spheroidal microgels of a water-swollen or water-swellable, crosslinked polymer such as crosslinked polyacrylamide.

Abstract: N-(aminomethyl)-.alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxamides such as N-(dimethylaminomethyl)acrylamide are readily prepared without coincident production of saturated impurities by reacting an .alpha.,.beta.-ethylenically unsaturated carboxamide such as acrylamide with a lower aldehyde such as formaldehyde and a secondary amine such as dimethylamine at a pH below 7. The resulting aminomethyl carboxamides are polymerized at a pH of 7 or less to form polymers containing essentially no gelled product.