Abstract: A method for coating powders with nylon by mixing the powder with the nylon and a solvent for the nylon, precipitating the nylon out of solution and coating the powder particles, and separating the coated powder substantially in the form of agglomerates of individually coated particles. The coated powder can then be readily compressed to form a shaped structure, such as, a molded article. A nylon coated powder especially suitable for conversion into shaped structures by melt processes, such as, injection molding or melt extrusion, is obtained by incorporating an organic polymer modifier into the nylon coated powder.

Abstract: A knock-down device is presented for use in stacking wooden pallets, one above the other, in a manner to protect the wooden pallet against much of the damage usually encountered, and in a manner wherein the load from each pallet above the lowermost is transmitted through aligned corner posts to the supporting floor independently of the pallets. The completed device is usually composed of two identical complexes, each of which includes two adjacent sides of the stacker device arranged in such a manner that two generally L-shape structures, as seen in plan view, are secured together to form a complete rectangle in plan.

Abstract: A continuous-flow method and apparatus for the determination of alcohol in a biological fluid such as blood is disclosed. A packed column containing the enzyme alcohol dehydrogenase physically entrapped in a acrylamide gel together with other special ingredients which extend the active life of the enzyme in the test environment is provided. Downstream of the packed column a transparent measurement cell is provided in conjunction with a fluorescence spectrophotometer which is utilized to measure the fluorescence of the effluent which is directly related to the amount of ethyl alcohol in the original sample. The fluorescence measurement is electrically transformed by conventional means into a direct readout of the alcohol content of the sample. This obtains from the fact that alcohol dehydrogenase catalyzes the oxidation of ethyl alcohol in the presence of non-fluorescening NAD to produce acetaldehyde and fluorescing NADH.sub.2.

Abstract: A continuous method and apparatus for the determination of urea in a biological fluid such as blood, for example, is disclosed. In a continuously flowing system, the biological sample is introduced into a buffered carrier solution of low electrical conductance and is caused to flow into a chamber containing an immobilized enzyme which catalyzes a specific reaction which changes the electrical properties of the solution by increasing the dissociated ion concentration therein. This increase in dissociated ion concentration is directly proportional to the original concentration of urea in the biological sample; and any one of the several conventional electrical measurements may be made to determine the increase in such concentration or the rate of increase in such concentration and thereby determine the concentration of urea in the original biological sample.