Abstract: A miniature gas chromatograph with thermostatically-controlled heating of its component parts which contact and conduct the sample to the analytical column. The microvalve assembly of the gas chromatograph is heated by passing a thermostatically-controlled electrical current through a metallic conductor formed on a surface of the microvalve assembly. The tubing which conducts sample from the gas chromatograph sample inlet to the microvalve assembly is heated by passing a thermostatically-controlled electrical current directly through the tubing or through a metal layer formed around the tubing. The sample inlet fitting is heated by a wire heater element wrapped around it. Each heater has an associated temperature sensor for controlling the amount of heating to maintain a predetermined temperature.

Abstract: An automated micro-valve assembly injects a fixed fluid volume fluid into a destination stream. The fluid to be injected (inject fluid) is conducted into a chamber. Flow of inject fluid out of the chamber is prevented by sealing the ends of the chamber using valves or by application of pressure. A fixed volume of inject fluid is injected into the destination stream by pressurizing the inject fluid in the chamber and opening an inject valve which connects the chamber to the destination stream. The pressurization of the inject fluid in the chamber above the destination stream pressure is effected by a T-valve which controls the flow of a purge fluid into the chamber. The purge fluid emitted by the T-valve flows toward the inject valve, forming a fluid-lock which establishes the fixed-volume to be injected. During the injection, the inject fluid is driven by the purge fluid pressure to flow through the inject valve into a destination passage which communicates with the destination stream.

Abstract: A vacuum cleaner with a housing, a source of vacuum, and an air chamber located in the housing and connected to the source of vacuum. The housing includes a bottom member, a top member and a handle contacting and extending from a top surface of the top member. The handle is separately connected to the bottom member such that the handle is supported by both the top and bottom members. The air chamber is located in the housing between the top and bottom members with an inlet aperture and an exhaust aperture located at the exterior of the housing. The air chamber is comprised of two half sections that combine to form an inlet conduit, an outlet conduit, and an impeller chamber. An impeller of the source of vacuum is located in the impeller chamber. The source of vacuum has a motor with a first end connected to the impeller and a second end forming a drive shaft to drive a belt connected to a rotatable brush assembly.

Abstract: The present invention provides for the purification from native sources or the cloning and expression of a variant form of platelet factor 4 and also provides recombinant DNA vectors and methods for the expression and recovery of the platelet factor 4 variant. Also provided are compositions and methods for modulating immune responses in mammals comprising immunomodulating effective amounts of platelet factor 4 variant.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process and apparatus wherein municipal refuse, and many other types of solid waste, are disposed of in a landfill repository that maintains them in a dry state indefinitely. This eliminates most environmental and many cost problems. The principal design feature of this landfill is its cellular internal structure, which has rows of contiguous, rectangular water- and gas-tight cells that are built on top of one another to form a high, multi-layered structure. These cells are simultaneously constructed and filled with solid waste in a series of short, incremental wall berm construction and filling steps on a one-cell-at-a-time basis in the top layer of the landfill.

Abstract: The present invention provides for the purification from native sources or the cloning and expression of a variant form of platelet factor 4 and also provides recombinant DNA vectors and methods for the expression and recovery of the platelet factor 4 variant. Also provided are compositions and methods for modulating immune responses in mammals comprising immunomodulating effective amounts of platelet factor 4 variant.

Abstract: The present invention provides a process for the recovery of heterologous proteins from CTAP-III fusion proteins comprising expressing a fusion protein having a first amino acid sequence, a second amino acid sequence, and a selectable site which may be cleaved to provide first and second polypeptide fragments, respectively, wherein the first amino acid fragment is homologous to CTAP-III, and the first and second fragments have different pI values; cleaving the fusion protein to provide the first and second fragments; and separating the first and second fragments by ion exchange chromatography.

Abstract: Human laminin B.sub.1 peptides have been produced. The invention provides novel peptides which contain substantial amino acid sequence similarity to amino acids 897 to 936 in the human sequence. These peptides have been found to have enhanced antimetastatic activity.

Abstract: A method for obtaining heterologous peptides from fusion proteins wherein at least one of the fusion components is connective tissue-activating peptide-III is provided. Hirudin, a laminin B.sub.1 peptide and platelet factor 4 are polypeptides expressed using this method. DNA sequences encoding the fusion protein, vectors containing these sequences and transformed prokaryotic hosts useful in practicing the method of the present invention are also provided.

Abstract: Compounds and compositions comprising amino acid substituted and chemically modified analogs of hirudin are provided, together with methods for their production and use as antithrombotic and anticoagulant agents.

Abstract: The present invention provides a method to improve the expression of a poorly expressed recombinant protein, such as platelet factor 4, by constructing a gene fusion such that unfavorable secondary structure formed between the region of the messenger RNA specifying the recombinant protein and the region of the messenger RNA containing the ribosome binding site is disrupted. The gene fusion is constructed by inserting a DNA segment of sufficient length to disrupt unfavorable long-range folding interactions which render the ribosome binding site inaccesible to ribosomes thereby interfering with the translation of mRNA. The invention further provides for the expression of recombinant platelet factor 4 and provides recombinant DNA vectors and methods for the bacterial production and recovery of said platelet factor 4.

Abstract: A synthetic structural gene encoding CTAP-III or CTAP-III-Leu21 including adaptors for the carboxy and amino terminal ends of the gene which contain start and stop codons and convenient restriction sites for use in cloning the gene is described. The gene was designed for efficient expression in bacteria and to include two unique restriction sites for BamHI and XbaI. Plasmid expression vectors that are derivatives of pBR322 that contain a ColE1 insert which includes the expression control sequence and structural gene for colicin are also described. Constructs for expressing CTAP-III, CTAP-III-Leu21, CTAP-III or CTAP-III-Leu21 having a nonpolar pentapeptide fused to its amino terminus, and fusion proteins of such CTAP-III proteins and a colicin fragment are prepared by inserting the synthetic structural gene into the vectors at positions in phase with the colicin expression control sequence and under the control thereof.

Abstract: A cyclonic agglomerator is used in the inlet line for quenched carbon black smoke into a bag house to increase the efficiency of carbon black processing.

Abstract: Method for forming roller bearing cage lugs into roller retainers. Portions of the lugs provided on bearing cage webs are staked to a preselected depth and a desired retainer conformation in an overlying relationship with adjacent roller receiving pockets in the cage. A punch assembly which accommodates a pair of simultaneous staking operations is employed. The assembly includes a staking punch configured to stake portions of the same lug in opposite directions from each other overlying portions of adjacent receiving pockets or to stake portions of adjacent lugs in opposite directions toward each other overlying opposed sides of the same receiving pocket.

Abstract: The present invention is directed to heap leach processes for leaching metal values from ore. The heap is constructed with a plurality of cellular heaps formed by loading ore onto an impermeable pad having a raised berm network thereon to separate the pad surface into a plurality of reservoirs. Leach solution percolating through the ore is collected in the respective reservoirs. Additional cellular heaps may be subsequently built overlying the original cellular heaps with an impermeable barrier being placed between stacked cellular heaps to prevent overleaching of underlying cellular heaps. The effluent leach solution from the overlying cellular heap is routed to the underlying reservoir from where it is withdrawn. Use of berms on the surface of the individual cellular heaps permits pooling of leach solution thereon for enhanced leaching. An earthen dam around the heap eliminates ore sides to the heap and insulates the heap during cold weather.

Abstract: A heretofore waste gas stream containing nitrogen is used in the manufacture of carbon black.

Abstract: Footwear having improved shock absorption in a shoe having a heel and box portion, a first flat elastomeric bladder supported by the shoe heel portion to bear the weight of the heel of the foot of a user, an elastomeric bladder portion supported by the shoe box portion to bear the weight of the ball portion of the foot of a user, a conduit connecting the first and second bladders, and a valve in the conduit permitting a selectable rate of flow of fluid between the bladders.

Abstract: Combustion gases containing free oxygen and a carbonaceous feed are introduced into a carbon black reactor, with the combustion gases being at a temperature sufficient to pyrolyze the feed hydrocarbon to produce combustion products containing particulate carbon black. The combustion products are cooled by quenching to form a gaseous effluent containing particulate carbon black. The effluent is discharged from the reactor to an indirect heat exchange means for further cooling the effluent. Carbon black is introduced into the effluent inlet of the indirect heat exchange means for removing carbon black which has become deposited on surfaces defining the flow path or flow paths for the effluent flowing through the heat exchange means. The effluent after cooling in the indirect heat exchange means is passed to separating means for separating the effluent into a gaseous portion and a particulate carbon black portion. Thereafter, the particulate carbon black portion can be pelleted.

Abstract: Combustion products containing particulate solids such as carbon black are quenched by indirect heat exchange and the build up of solids deposits on the heat exchange surfaces is minimized or deposits on the heat exchange surfaces are removed by providing a fixed bed of fluidizable particulate solids within the indirect heat exchanger and positioning a shell-tube heat exchanger within the bed of solids with the heat exchange fluid being in the shell side and with the gas stream containing entrained solids such as carbon black passing through the tubes which contain particulate solids. Fluidization of the particulate solids by the gas stream containing carbon black, for example, passing through the tubes cleans or keeps the inner peripheries of the tubes clean.

Abstract: A process and apparatus for recovering carbon black from hot smoke which comprises passing the smoke through a cyclone separation zone following cooling, then through aggregate filter beds and regeneration of filter beds with clean off-gas which is recycled to the carbon black reaction zone as quench.