BCRF1 proteins, and expression vectors for producing them, are provided for treating conditions associated with excessive production of IFN- gamma . Compositions of the invention containing BCRF1 proteins are useful in treating a variety of disorders, including allergy, psoriasis, tissue rejection, and MHC-linked autoimmune diseases.

A disposable absorbent article comprising a backsheet, a topsheet, a fluid acquisition/distribution region and at least one fluid storage region, said article having a total product acquisition performance of more than 3.75 ml/sec in the first gush and more than 0.5 ml/sec in the fourth gush and an in bag stack height of less than 9.9 mm, characterised in that said topsheet allows to retain no mor...

An automatic well test system (20) utilizes a Coriolis flowmeter (68) that functions as a mass flowmeter and densitometer in combination with a water-cut monitor (66) to calculate volumetric flow rates and densities of materials draining from a test separator (24) in a combined or two-phase production stream. An oil-phase density value is corrected to eliminate the effect of its water content, and...

The invention relates to continuous gas fluidised bed polymerisation of olefins, especially ethylene, propylene, or mixtures of these with other alpha-olefins, wherein the monomer-containing recycle gas employed to fluidise the bed is cooled to condense out at least some liquid hydrocarbon. The condensed liquid, which can be a monomer or an inert liquid, is separated from the recycle gas and fed d...

The creped hydroentangled nonwoven laminate material (10) of the present invention includes a creped hydroentangled nonwoven layer (12) attached to a support layer (14). The exposed, top surface of the creped hydroentangled nonwoven layer includes raised loop areas having low fiber density and high z-directional fiber orientation that are designed to receive and engage the hook elements projecting...

A molded or extruded article made from a propylene, 'alpha'-olefin copolymer, where the 'alpha'-olefin has 5 or more carbon atoms (higher alpha-olefins (HAO)), where the copolymer is made with a metallocene catalyst system, provides substantially higher cold flow resistance and resiliency than when the propylene copolymer contains an 'alpha'-olefin of 4 or less carbon atoms. Other properties such ...

In order that bar-shaped cutters can be ground as accurately as possible, it is essential that the bar-shaped cutters are clamped as close as possible to the surfaces which are to be ground. For this purpose, each bar-shaped cutter is pressed against two stop faces or surfaces by means of two claws of a clamping lever, and the one claw which is closer to the surface to be ground is structured to b...

In a heat exchange vessel which conducts a hot, pressurized synthetic gaseous stream carrying particulate matter through a central heat exchange chamber, a safety system for monitoring pressures within the vessel. Said heat exchange vessel includes a shell surrounding a water wall, defining an annulus therebetween. Pressure sensing means communicated with the respective heat exchange chamber and s...

PURPOSE:To provide a process for raising the superconducting transition temperature of especially a Bi-based oxide superconductor among oxide superconductors. CONSTITUTION:An intermediate product or a substance getting superconducting characteristics in the production process of an oxide superconductor is treated with a solution containing an oxidizing compound, such as carbonyl compound, ozone, h...

An optical pickup comprises a holographic element 150 including a transparent substrate 154 carrying multiple thin layers 155 formed by alternately stacking first and second kinds of thin layer having respective first and second reflective indices. A reflecting layer 158 is applied to the substrate and layers. The element 150 gives rise to different light paths for differently polarized light comp...

PCT No. PCT/GB97/03497 Sec. 371 Date Aug. 12, 1998 Sec. 102(e) Date Aug. 12, 1998 PCT Filed Dec. 19, 1997 PCT Pub. No. WO98/28162 PCT Pub. Date Jul. 2, 1998A method of determining, during a clutch re-engagement process, the kiss-point of a vehicle clutch (14) having a driven plate (40) which drives a vehicle from an engine (10) via a multi-ratio transmission (12). The clutch is operated via a clut...

A method of evaluating optimum risk financing for risk associated contingencies. The method assembles input data relating to the contingency and processes that data to calculate by actuarial processing for any value of retained risk, a value of premium, retained risk cost and aggregate stop. The method then identifies the optimum set of values.

A wellbore cable 100 has one or more fiber optic fibers 120,126 with one or more fiber Bragg gratings (127,129, Fig 3D) thereon or therein. Such a cable can be used in a system with an appropriate broadband source, detector system and other items (e.g. isolators, couplers, computers, and acoustic transmitters) to measure: the length of a cable in a wellbore, localized temperature in a wellbore, an...

A method of issuing an electronic negotiable document (END) comprises: creating as data an END and storing this in a tamper-resistant document carrier, the document carrier containing a unique public-secret key pair for signing and verifying and a unique document carrier identifier; signing the unique document-carrier identifier, the END and an END identifier using the secret key of the public-sec...

A drum brake backplate assembly including a wheel cylinder (30) having a tubular body (31) having an axially extending bore (32) within which two brake shoe operating pistons (33) are in sealed sliding contact to define a working chamber (48) therebetween. The pistons are displaceable away from each other along the bore on pressurisation of the working chamber and the body located on an associated...

An automatic friction clutch 3, for a motor vehicle, is controlled during a starting sequence by control means 17 receiving signals from road speed sensor 25, engine speed sensor 19, gearbox input sensor 21, gearbox output sensor 23 and accelerator pedal position sensor 27. The control means 17 operates an engine to provide an engine speed above a first threshold value (35, fig 6) when a driver si...

An information providing device (2) connected to telephone lines, on receiving a call from a user's terminal (1), sends out a guidance to the terminal, prompts the user to input the card number and password number. After the input of the numbers by the user, the device transfers the numbers to the host computer (3) which manages the information utilization fees. The host computer checks the user c...

A process for making a cured plastics moulding by introducing a pre-heated curable resin composition to a hotter mould which is at a temperature high enough to initiate curing of the resin, and supplying further resin under pressure to compensate for shrinkage of the composition wherein the curable resin is a formulation comprising an aromatic glycidyl ether epoxy resin, an inert filler, a quatern...

Disclosed is a composite membrane for removing water from dilute organic or inorganic acids by pervaporation or vapor permeation. The composite membrane in accordance with the invention is of a porous carrier layer, a porous backing layer, and a non-porous separating layer, which consists of a PVC-PCac copolymer having a PVac content of 10 to 25% by weight of the copolymer.

A vehicle is equipped with an engine control ECU (1), an anti-lock brake system control ECU (2), a transmission control ECU (3) and a meter control ECU (4). Each ECU (1-4) shares information with the others by communicating and by performing mutual malfunction diagnosis operations through communication; also, backup operations are performed. After the deactuation of the ignition switch (8), malfun...