Abstract: A method of making a nonwoven fiber web comprises: providing a melt-blown nonwoven fiber web comprising bonded primary fibers having an average fiber diameter of 2 to 100 microns, wherein the primary fibers comprise a copolymer comprising divalent hydroxyethylene monomer units and divalent dihydroxybutylene monomer units; opening at least a portion of the melt-blown nonwoven fiber web to provide loose primary fibers; combining the loose primary fibers with secondary fibers; and forming a secondary nonwoven fiber web comprising the primary fibers and secondary fibers. A fiber web preparable according to the method and a multicomponent fiber including a first phase comprising a copolymer comprising divalent hydroxyethylene monomer units and divalent dihydroxybutylene monomer units and a second phase comprising a non-biodegradable polymer.

Abstract: A microtiter reaction system (15), comprising, a support rack (16) having an array of reaction wells (18) disposed therein, each reaction well (18) having an open top end (30) and a closed bottom end (32); a plurality of generally funnel shaped reactor caps (20) with each of reactor cap (20) being received into open top end (30) of each reaction well (18); a porous gas-permeable layer (22) positioned over support rack (16), gas-permeable layer (22) having an array of holes (23) therein with each hole (23) being positioned over open top end (30) of each of the plurality of reaction wells (18); gasket (24) positioned over porous gas-permeable layer (22); and a top cover (26) positioned over gasket (22).