Abstract: A method is provided of selecting specific probiotic lactic acid bacteria producing histamine and the use of such strains for beneficial effects for mammals. The method includes selecting a lactic acid bacterial strain for use in the local production of histamine in a mammal, and further comprises screening bacteria for the presence of an active histidine operon and selecting a strain which has an active histidine operon and is capable of producing histamine. Preferably said strain is selected for its ability to produce histamine at a level of greater than 250 pg/ml. The present invention further provides products comprising the strains obtainable by the selection methods of the invention for use in the local production of histamine in a mammal, in particular for use in the treatment or prophylaxis of inflammatory conditions.

Abstract: A video processing system may include a video input and a video output for outputting manipulated video images. The system may have a video processing chain connecting the video input to the video output. The chain may include a series connection of two or more video processing components. The components may each include a component input for receiving video images and a component output for outputting processed video images. A control input may be present for controlling the video processing component to be in an enabled or a disabled state. The video processing component may be arranged to obtain in the enabled state the processed video images by performing a respective processing operation on the received video images; and to obtain in the disabled state the processed video images by forwarding the received video images to the component output without performing the processing operation.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for producing an optical article having antireflection or reflective properties and comprising a substrate having at least one main surface, comprising the step of depositing an sub-layer onto a substrate's main surface, the step of treating the sub-layer by ionic bombardment and the step of depositing onto said sub-layer a multilayered stack comprising at least one high refractive index layer and at least one low refractive index layer. According to a preferred embodiment, the deposition of the sub-layer is conducted in a vacuum chamber in which a gas is supplied during the deposition step.

Abstract: The method allows liquefaction of a dry natural gas comprising water and heavy hydrocarbons containing more than five carbon atoms. The following stages are carried out: a) passing the dry natural gas through a water-adsorbent solid so as to obtain a water-depleted natural gas and a water-laden adsorbent solid, b) passing the water-depleted natural gas through a solid adsorbing heavy hydrocarbons comprising at least five carbon atoms so as to obtain a heavy hydrocarbon-depleted natural gas and a heavy hydrocarbon-laden adsorbent solid, c) liquefying the heavy hydrocarbon-depleted natural gas at a pressure above 40 bar abs so as to obtain a liquid natural gas under pressure, d) expanding the liquid natural gas under pressure obtained in stage c) to atmospheric pressure so as to obtain a liquid natural gas and a gas fraction.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of thermally-integrated hydrogen from a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock that contains sulfur-containing compounds that comprise at least one stage for heating the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock by indirect heat exchange with a hot stream, a stage for desulfurizing the heated hydrocarbon feedstock, a stage for evaporating the desulfurized hydrocarbon feedstock by indirect heat exchange with the hot stream that exits from the autothermal reformer, a stage for autothermal reforming of the hydrocarbon feedstock, and a stage wherein the carbon monoxide content in the hydrogen-rich gas that is produced is reduced in a reactor for converting carbon monoxide with water. The invention also relates to the hydrogen production installation that corresponds to this process.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical article having antireflection properties, optionally antistatic properties, having a high thermal and abrasion resistance, as well as the method for producing the same. The article of the invention comprises a substrate and, starting from the substrate: a sub-layer comprising a SiO2-based layer, said SiO2-based layer having a thickness greater than or equal to 75 nm et free from Al2O3; and a multilayered antireflection coating comprising a stack consisting in at least one high refractive index layer and at least one low refractive index layer, all the low refractive index layers of which comprising a mixture of SiO2 and Al2O3, and the high refractive index layers of which are not layers that do absorb in the visible region comprising a substoichiometric titanium oxide and reducing the relative visible light transmission factor (Tv) of the optical article by at least 10% as compared to a same article without any of said visible light absorbing layers.

Abstract: The invention concerns a composite support comprising a base support for the treatment of a biological fluid, in which: “the base support is essentially-constituted by a first polymer carrying anionic or anionizable groups;” at least a part of the surface of the base support is coated with a second polymer ionically bonded to the first polymer, the second polymer carrying the cationic or cationizable groups which are capable of forming an ionic bond with the anionic or anionizable groups of the first polymer; in which the second polymer is in the colloidal form and in mixture with a polyacid during application to the support, allowing the composite membrane to adsorb at least one entity containing anionic or anionizable groups by bonding with cationic or cationizable groups of the second polymer.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a unit element forming a membrane comprising a semi-permeable material able to separate in two compartments a filtration device for extracorporeal treatment of a fluid such as blood or plasma, said material being negatively charged, said element having a first internal face intended to be in direct contact with blood or plasma and a second external face intended to be in contact with filtrate, wherein said second face of said element is treated on the surface by one selected in the group comprising at least a cationic polymer, a mixture of polymers of which at least one polymer is cationic. The unit element can also have said first face treated on the surface by one selected in the group comprising: at least one cationic polymer, a mixture of polymers of which at least one polymer is cationic.

Abstract: This invention relates to a process for the production of hydrogen from a hydrocarbon feedstock and water vapor comprising: A stage for the production of a synthetic gas in a vapor reforming unit of the hydrocarbon feedstock in the presence of water vapor, with a fuel that provides the heat that is necessary to the reaction, A stage for conversion to vapor of the synthetic gas that is obtained in the preceding stage producing a hydrogen stream that contains methane and carbon dioxide, A stage for recovering carbon dioxide that is present in the stream that is obtained in the stage for conversion to vapor, making it possible to separate the carbon dioxide from the hydrogen stream, A stage for recovery and recycling to the vapor reforming stage of impurities that are present in the hydrogen stream, comprising a decompression phase.

Abstract: Process for catalytic conversion in the presence of hydrogen with regeneration of the catalyst that comprises a stage for reduction of said catalyst by the hydrogen that is obtained from the catalytic conversion stage, whereby this hydrogen is purified in advance of impurities that it contains by running it over adsorbent masses, whereby said adsorbent masses are regenerated by an increase in temperature that is provided by the effluent from the reduction stage of the catalyst. Application to the processes for regenerative reforming or dehydrogenation of paraffins and naphthenes and most generally to any moving-bed process that operates in the presence of hydrogen.

Abstract: The present invention relates to hormone coating layers having desirable hormone delivery characteristics and product lifetime. In one embodiment, the invention is a hormone composition including a substrate having an external surface, and a coating layer disposed on the external surface. The coating layer preferably includes a polymer web, and from about 1 wppm to about 100,000 wppm of a hormone comprising a terpene dispersed throughout the polymer web. The invention also relates to methods for making hormone coating materials of the present invention. The coating compositions of the present invention preferably are implemented in human and animal food packaging materials in order to safely and efficiently protect the foodstuffs contained therein from insect infestation.

Abstract: This disclosure pertains to a sweetener containing a high intensity sweetener and a taste modifying composition. In another aspect of the invention is a sweetener containing a high intensity sweetener, a taste modifying composition and a bulking material. Also disclosed are methods of making a sweetener of the present invention and methods of using the sweetener.

Abstract: The method allows liquefaction of a dry natural gas comprising water and heavy hydrocarbons containing more than five carbon atoms. The following stages are carried out: a) passing the dry natural gas through a water-adsorbent solid so as to obtain a water-depleted natural gas and a water-laden adsorbent solid, b) passing the water-depleted natural gas through a solid adsorbing heavy hydrocarbons comprising at least five carbon atoms so as to obtain a heavy hydrocarbon-depleted natural gas and a heavy hydrocarbon-laden adsorbent solid, c) liquefying the heavy hydrocarbon-depleted natural gas at a pressure above 40 bar abs so as to obtain a liquid natural gas under pressure, d) expanding the liquid natural gas under pressure obtained in stage c) to atmospheric pressure so as to obtain a liquid natural gas and a gas fraction.

Abstract: The invention relates to an optical article comprising a transparent substrate made of organic or inorganic glass, with main front and rear faces, at least one of said main faces comprising a multi-layer anti-reflection coating, wherein said anti-reflection coating comprises at least two visible-absorbing layers comprising a sub-stoichiometric titanium oxide, the visible-absorbing layers being such that the relative transmission factor of visible light Tv is reduced by at least 10% compared with the same article not comprising said visible-absorbing layers.

Abstract: A video processing system may include a video input and a video output for outputting manipulated video images. The system may have a video processing chain connecting the video input to the video output. The chain may include a series connection of two or more video processing components. The components may each include a component input for receiving video images and a component output for outputting processed video images. A control input may be present for controlling the video processing component to be in an enabled or a disabled state. The video processing component may be arranged to obtain in the enabled state the processed video images by performing a respective processing operation on the received video images; and to obtain in the disabled state the processed vide images by forwarding the received video images to the component output without performing the processing operation.

Abstract: The invention concerns a process for desulphurizing a feed comprising oxygen-containing compounds, hydrocarbon-containing compounds and organic sulphur-containing compounds, by capturing sulphur on a capture mass comprising iron oxides or zinc oxides and more than 20% by weight of zinc ferrite. The process is operated in the presence of hydrogen at a temperature in the range 200° C. to 400° C.

Abstract: The present invention relates to an optical article having anti-reflection properties and high thermal resistance, comprising a substrate having at least one main face coated with a multi-layer anti-reflection coating comprising a stack of at least one high refractive index layer and at least one low refractive index layer, wherein the ratio: R T = sum ? ? of ? ? the ? ? physical ? ? thicknesses ? ? of ? ? the low ? ? refractive ? ? index ? ? layers ? ? of ? ? the ? anti ? - ? reflection ? ? coating sum ? ? of ? ? the ? ? physical ? ? thicknesses ? ? of ? ? the high ? ? refractive ? ? index ? ? layers ? ? of ? ? the ? anti ? - ? reflection ? ? coating is higher than 2.1.

Abstract: The object of the invention is a unit element forming a membrane comprising a semi-permeable material able to separate in two compartments a filtration device for extracorporeal treatment of a fluid such as blood or plasma, said material being negatively charged, said element having a first internal face intended to be in direct contact with blood or plasma and a second external face intended to be in contact with filtrate, wherein said second face of said element is treated on the surface by one selected in the group comprising at least a cationic polymer, a mixture of polymers of which at least one polymer is cationic. The unit element can also have said first face treated on the surface by one selected in the group comprising: at least one cationic polymer, a mixture of polymers of which at least one polymer is cationic.

Abstract: The invention relates to a process for the production of thermally-integrated hydrogen from a liquid hydrocarbon feedstock that contains sulfur-containing compounds that comprise at least one stage for heating the liquid hydrocarbon feedstock by indirect heat exchange with a hot stream, a stage for desulfurizing the heated hydrocarbon feedstock, a stage for evaporating the desulfurized hydrocarbon feedstock by indirect heat exchange with the hot stream that exits from the autothermal reformer, a stage for autothermal reforming of the hydrocarbon feedstock, and a stage wherein the carbon monoxide content in the hydrogen-rich gas that is produced is reduced in a reactor for converting carbon monoxide with water. The invention also relates to the hydrogen production installation that corresponds to this process.

Abstract: The invention concerns a composite support comprising a base support for the treatment of a biological fluid, in which: “the base support is essentially-constituted by a first polymer carrying anionic or anionizable groups;” at least a part of the surface of the base support is coated with a second polymer ionically bonded to the first polymer, the second polymer carrying the cationic or cationizable groups which are capable of forming an ionic bond with the anionic or anionizable groups of the first polymer; in which the second polymer is in the colloidal form and in mixture with a polyacid during application to the support, allowing the composite membrane to adsorb at least one entity containing anionic or anionizable groups by bonding with cationic or cationizable groups of the second polymer.