Abstract: A closure assembly comprises an article (1) forming a tubular neck (2) around a product passage (3) in said article. The neck forms a mouth at a top end of said product passage. The assembly further comprises a rotational cap (20) that is injection molded of plastic material and that is secured on or to be secured on said neck of the article. The cap seals the product passage in closed position of the cap on said neck, and the cap—for removal of the cap from the neck of the article by a user to open the product passage—is adapted to be manually rotated from the closed position in an opening direction.

Abstract: A device for heating a flowing medium (e.g., water), wherein the device comprises a heating module and a heat exchanger enclosed by an insulating material comprising a vacuum-packed core material. The heating module and the heat exchanger may further be received in a housing having a number of walls, wherein the vacuum-packed core material is arranged between one of the walls and the heating module and/or the heat exchanger.

Abstract: A closure device (1) for a product dispensing container. The closure device comprises a base (2) having a body with a connector portion (2a) adapted to mount the closure device on a product container. The base comprises a product channel (5) and a rupturable seal (4) occluding the product channel and forming a lower seal of the closure device. A rotary part (20) is rotatably journalled on the base. The rotary part has a product passage (21) in communication with the product channel in the base. An upper sealing arrangement (30) is arranged on the rotary part and forms an upper seal of the closure device that is remote from the lower seal and seals the product passage of the rotary part. A lower seal rupturing member (40) is movable in a rupturing motion relative to the base to rupture the rupturable lower seal. A motion transfer (27, 42, 3b, 41) means is provided and is adapted so as to effect the rupturing motion of the lower seal rupturing member upon suitable rotary actuation of the rotary part.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for synthesizing a peptide by enzymatically preparing an ester or thioester from (i) an N-terminal protected amino acid or an N-terminal protected peptide where either can have a protected C-terminal ester group and (ii) an alcohol represented by the formula HO—CX2—Z or a thiol represented by the formula HS—CX2—Z, each X independently representing a halogen atom or a hydrogen atom; and Z represents an electron withdrawing group comprising at least one sp3-hybridized carbon comprising at least two substituents comprising a heteroatom directly attached to the at least one sp3-hybridized carbon or at least one sp2-hybridized carbon comprising one or two substituents comprising a heteroatom directly attached to the at least one sp2-hybridized carbon, and enzymatically coupling the prepared ester or thioester with an optionally C-terminal protected amino acid or with an optionally C-terminal protected peptide in a medium comprising 2 wt. % water or less.

Abstract: A screw cap and a method of manufacturing a screw cap for closing a preserving jar is provided. The screw cap has a weakening line, which can be broken by means of finger force applied thereto, by removing material from the cap at the intended location of the weakening line so as to obtain a slot.

Abstract: A novel transformation system in the field of filamentous fungal hosts for expressing and secreting heterologous proteins or polypeptides is described. The invention also covers a process for producing large amounts of polypeptide or protein in an economical manner. The system comprises a transformed or transfected fungal strain of the genus Chrysosporium, more particularly of Chrysosporium lucknowense and mutants or derivatives thereof. It also covers transformants containing Chrysosporium coding sequences, as well expression-regulating sequences of Chrysosporium genes. Also provided are novel fungal enzymes and their encoding sequences and expression-regulating sequences.

Abstract: Methods to digest carbohydrates, especially lignocelluloses and hemicelluloses, using fungal proteins previously not recognized as having this activity are described.

Abstract: Disclosed are a method and apparatus for adjusting a set of luminance values associated with a set of visual elements in a current frame (310) of a video sequence for object detection (370). The method determines (410,430,450), for each of a plurality of scenarios (SO, SI, S2), a set of adjusted luminance values based on a corresponding luminance compensation value, and accumulates (460), for each scenario, a set of brightness counts and darkness counts of the current frame based on the set of adjusted luminance values. A metric (470) is calculated for each scenario based on the set of brightness counts and darkness counts and one of scenarios is selected based on the calculated metric. The method then selects (350) the adjusted luminance value associated with the selected scenario as an adjusted set of luminance values associated with the current frame of the video sequence.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a system and method for performing foreground/background separation on an input image. The method pre-classifies (1010, 1020) an input visual element in the input image as one of a first element type and a second element type, dependent upon a predetermined characteristic. The method performs a first foreground/background separation (1030) on the input visual element that has been pre-classified as the first element type, wherein the first foreground/background separation step is based on color data and brightness data of the input visual element. The method performs a second foreground/background separation (1040) on the input visual element that has been pre-classified as the second element type, wherein the second foreground/background separation step is based on color data, brightness data, and texture of the input visual element.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are a computer-implemented method and a camera system for determining a current spatial representation for a detection in a current frame of an image sequence. The method derives an expected spatial representation (820) for the detection based on at least one previous frame, generates a spatial representation (810) of the detection, and extends the spatial representation (810) to obtain an extended spatial representation (830), based on the expected spatial representation (820). The method determines a similarity measure between the extended spatial representation (830) and the expected spatial representation (820), and then determines the current spatial representation for the detection based on the similarity measure.

Abstract: The invention relates to heteroarylpiperidine and -piperazine derivatives, to agrochemically active salts thereof, to their use and also to methods and compositions for controlling phytopathogenic harmful fungi in and/or on plants or in and/or on seed of plants, to methods for producing such compositions and to treated seed, and also to the use thereof for controlling phytopathogenic harmful plants in agriculture, horticulture and forestry, in animal health, in materials protection and also in the household and hygiene sector. The present invention further relates to a method for producing heteroarylpiperidine and -piperazine derivatives.

Abstract: A container (1) with a portion dispensing device for dispensing portions of a product from the container. The container has a main reservoir (2) for storage of product. The portion dispensing device comprises a variable volume product chamber (30) and associated restoring means. The variable volume product chamber (30) has a product outlet and an outlet valve (45). The product chamber also has a product inlet in communication with the main reservoir (2) and an inlet valve. The variable volume product chamber (30) has a volume that is reduced upon increased pressurization of product in the main reservoir (2) of the container (1), and that is increased, at when the increased pressurization of product in the main reservoir (2) of the container (1) is removed. The inlet valve (60) closes the product inlet upon increase of pressurization of the product in the main reservoir (2) so that product passes from the chamber via the product outlet.

Abstract: The invention relates to a nucleic acid sequence encoding an itaconate transporting Major Facilitator Superfamily Transporter (MFST) gene sequence and the protein encoded thereby. Preferably said sequence is the nucleic acid that comprises the sequence of ATEG_09972.1 of Aspergillus terreus or homologues thereof. Overexpression of the protein enhances the production of itaconic acid in micro-organisms.

Abstract: The invention relates to a nucleic acid sequence encoding an Aspergillus mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid transporter that can be used in the production of itaconic acid in micro-organisms. Preferably said transporter protein is the protein encoded by the nucleic acid which is located on a chromosome segment of A. terreus that also harbours other genes involved in the itaconic acid biosynthesis and the lovastatin biosynthesis. Also, vectors, hosts and transformed micro-organisms are part of the invention.

Abstract: A heat exchanger is manufactured from a single piece of heat-conducting material and comprises fins for guiding a fluid and for transferring heat between the fluid and the heat exchanger, wherein between the fins are provided transverse fins which extend in a direction substantially transversely of the fins over a distance which is less than the distance between the fins and in a direction substantially transversely of the flow direction of the fluid, wherein the transverse fins are arranged alternately close to or on mutually adjacent fins in order to cause a fluid flowing between the fins to follow a meandering path between the fins, wherein the lateral direction lies substantially perpendicularly of the fins.

Abstract: A diaphragm valve, more particularly for fluid media, includes a valve body, a diaphragm and a connection piece that can be activated by a drive in order to act on the diaphragm, wherein the valve body, the diaphragm and the connection piece are made of plastic. The valve body and the diaphragm are made of different plastics, wherein the plastic of the diaphragm is more elastic than the plastic of the valve body.

Abstract: Methods to digest carbohydrates, especially lignocelluloses and hemicelluloses, using fungal proteins previously not recognized as having this activity are described.

Abstract: A novel transformation system in the field of filamentous fungal hosts for expressing and secreting heterologous proteins or polypeptides is described. The invention also covers a process for producing large amounts of polypeptide or protein in an economical manner. The system comprises a transformed or transfected fungal strain of the genus Chrysosporium, more particularly of Chrysosporium lucknowense and mutants or derivatives thereof. It also covers transformants containing Chrysosporium coding sequences, as well expression-regulating sequences of Chrysosporium genes. Also provided are novel fungal enzymes and their encoding sequences and expression-regulating sequences.

Abstract: A new cultivar of Brunnera macrophylla, ‘Sea Heart’, characterized by its leaves that are large, strong, round-cordate in shape, conspicuously mottled with silver between green veins, its resistance to sun scorch, and its vigorous growth habit.

Abstract: A new cultivar of Brunnera macrophylla, ‘Silver Heart’, characterized by its leaves that are large, strong, round-cordate in shape, and heavily mottled with silver with very thin green veins and margins, and its resistance to sun scorch.