Abstract: An axial face seal (13), which seals a pump housing in the region of the pump shaft (12), is constructed in an axially compact manner. Spring holders (24, 25), which transmit the required pressing force of a compression spring (23), are connected to one another with a positive fit in a rotation direction, and hold a rotating axial face seal ring (19) in a rotationally fixed manner to the pump shaft (12). The spring holders (24, 25) are compact and enclose an abutment ring (33) for pump impellers as well as the compression spring (23). A motor-side spring (24) engages over the rotating axial face seal ring (19), by which an axially extremely short constructional length is achieved.

Abstract: The impeller for a centrifugal pump includes a carrier disk and possibly a shroud. The blades of the impeller are identical, but are arranged in pairs such that impellers of different hydraulic characteristics are formed with blades of the same shape.

Abstract: The invention relates to chimeric polytropic viral envelope polypeptides and uses thereof, as well as to polynucleotides encoding said chimeric polypeptides and constructs comprising said polypeptides and/or polynucleotides. The invention also relates to chimeric retroviral envelope polypeptides, polynucleotides and vectors encoding said chimeric retroviral envelope polypeptides, virus particles and cells harbouring said chimeric envelope polypeptides. Said chimeric polypeptide comprise an envelope polypeptide, or fragment thereof, and a polypeptide sequence of a receptor binding region, ligand or polypeptide sequence of a ligand binding region, and optionally a linker sequence. The invention include methods of targeting receptors, methods of treatment and methods for delivery of agents using said chimeric retroviral envelope polypeptides. The invention is applicable for directed targeting and controlled fusion of virus particles with other cellular membranes.

Abstract: The invention provides sequence information of a microbial protein having lipoxy-genase activity and a method of producing the protein by recombinant DNA technology. More specifically, the inventors have isolated a gene encoding a lipoxygenase from Gaeu-mannomyces graminis, cloned it into an E. coli strain and sequenced it. A comparison shows less than 25% identity to known lipoxygenase sequences, the closest being human 15S li-poxygenase. The inventors have expressed the lipoxygenase recombinantly and found that the recombinant lipoxygenase is glycosylated.

Abstract: The present invention is directed methods for identifying compounds that have a tissue protective activity using a heteromultimer receptor complex that mediates the tissue protective activities. The complex consists of at least one EPO-R in complex with at least one &bgr;c Receptor. These compounds used in the assays to identify tissue protective compounds include, but are not limited to, small molecules and biologics. The compounds identified using these assays can be used to treat various conditions of the central and peripheral nervous systems as well as those of other erythropoietin-responsive or excitable cells, tissues, and organs.

Abstract: Methods and compositions are provided for protecting or enhancing a responsive cell, tissue, organ or body part function or viability in vivo, in situ or ex vivo in mammals, including human beings, by systemic or local administration of an erythropoietin receptor activity modulator, such as an recombinant tissue protective cytokine.

Abstract: The invention provides sequence information of a microbial protein having lipoxy-genase activity and a method of producing the protein by recombinant DNA technology. More specifically, the inventors have isolated a gene encoding a lipoxygenase from Gaeu-mannomyces graminis, cloned it into an E. coli strain and sequenced it. A comparison shows less than 25% identity to known lipoxygenase sequences, the closest being human 15S li-poxygenase. The inventors have expressed the lipoxygenase recombinantly and found that the recombinant lipoxygenase is glycosylated.