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4792519 Method for the monitoring and control of microbial populations
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New Patents
one hollow filter assembly disposed in a hopper and having an open upper end registering with a wall opening. Contaminated air is introduced into the hopper through an inlet and is caused to flow into an exhaust chamber through the filter and the opening. The filter apparatus includes an end plate supporting the filter assembly and sealing the lower end of the filter assembly. The filter apparatus also includes a nozzle spaced above the filter assembly for selectively directing a reverse pulse of air into the open upper end of the filter such that the reverse air pulse enters the filter assembly and flows through the filter medium in the reverse of the direction of contaminated airflow to thereby remove accumulated contaminants from the filter medium. The nozzle is constructed such that the air pulses emitted from the nozzle propagate toward the wall opening in a cone-shaped pattern with the base of the cone engaging the wall at the wall opening and surrounding the open end of the filter, and such that the air pulses propagate downwardly into the filter assembly and impinge directly upon the end plate and do not impinge upon the filter medium.
4792519 METHOD FOR THE MONITORING AND CONTROL OF MICROBIAL POPULATIONS James W Blackburn, Gary Sayler assigned to International Technology Corporation; University of Tennessee Research Corporati A method is disclosed for the monitoring and control of a microbial population in a biotechnological system. The method involves the identification of at least one critical subpopulation and determining the optimal level for said subpopulation. A controlled variable is determined which can be adjusted to alter the level of the subpopulation. The method employs nucleic acid hybridization in the microbial population. This involves the preparation of a labelled probe from nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence substantially complementary to a nucleotide sequence in the nucleic acid in the subpopulation. A representative sample of the microbial population is obtained and treated to free nucleic acids and to denature double-stranded nucleic acids. The resulting sample nucleic acids are contacted with the labelled probe under appropriate conditions to form duplexes. The labelled probe in the duplex is monitored to determine the amount of duplexes and the level of the subpopulation is calculated from the determined
duplexes. The controlled variable is adjusted based on the calculated level of the subpopulation to bring the level toward the optimal level. The method is used to monitor and control the microbial population without reliance upon the phenotypical expression of the genetic information of the organisms.
4795607 HIGH-TEMPERATURE REACTOR Herbert Reutler, Gunter Lohnert, Johannes Lukaszewicz, Kfederal Republic Of Germana assigned to GHT Gesellschaft fur Hochtemperaturreaktor-Technik mbH Gas-cooled high-temperature nuclear reactor having a reactor core comprising individual fuel elements provided with means for forming a bartier against the release of fission products producible therein during reactor operation, the fuel elements being received in a cylindrical barrel formed of an inner graphite layer functioning as a reflector, an outer layer of insulating material surrounding the inner layer, and a metallic receptacle, the inner and outer layers and the receptacle being formed of respective side, bottom and cover portions, the side and cover portions of the inner layer being formed with first channels into which means for controlling the reactors are insertable, the bottom, side and cover portions of the inner layer being further formed with second channels wherein, during reactor operation, cooling gas is circulated under pressure from the bottom to the top of the receptacle, the bottom portion of the inner layer having first openings for introducing cooling gas into the second channels during reactor operation and second openings for withdrawing during reactor operation cooling gas heated by passage through the reactor core; the inner and outer layers and the cylindrical core barrel having a heat conductivity and a thermal capacity and the reactor core having such a size, shape, power density and moderation ratio that a first temperature at which the core becomes subcritical for all possible accident conditions is below a second temperature at which the barrier means are destroyed, and, when loss of pressure of the cooling gas is experienced, after-heat generated in the core being removable by heat conduction and radiation through the inner and outer layers and the core barrel to a heat sink located outside the receptacle, in such a way that the fuel elements remain at a temperature below the second temperature.
New Patents
one hollow filter assembly disposed in a hopper and having an open upper end registering with a wall opening. Contaminated air is introduced into the hopper through an inlet and is caused to flow into an exhaust chamber through the filter and the opening. The filter apparatus includes an end plate supporting the filter assembly and sealing the lower end of the filter assembly. The filter apparatus also includes a nozzle spaced above the filter assembly for selectively directing a reverse pulse of air into the open upper end of the filter such that the reverse air pulse enters the filter assembly and flows through the filter medium in the reverse of the direction of contaminated airflow to thereby remove accumulated contaminants from the filter medium. The nozzle is constructed such that the air pulses emitted from the nozzle propagate toward the wall opening in a cone-shaped pattern with the base of the cone engaging the wall at the wall opening and surrounding the open end of the filter, and such that the air pulses propagate downwardly into the filter assembly and impinge directly upon the end plate and do not impinge upon the filter medium.
4792519 METHOD FOR THE MONITORING AND CONTROL OF MICROBIAL POPULATIONS James W Blackburn, Gary Sayler assigned to International Technology Corporation; University of Tennessee Research Corporati A method is disclosed for the monitoring and control of a microbial population in a biotechnological system. The method involves the identification of at least one critical subpopulation and determining the optimal level for said subpopulation. A controlled variable is determined which can be adjusted to alter the level of the subpopulation. The method employs nucleic acid hybridization in the microbial population. This involves the preparation of a labelled probe from nucleic acid having a nucleotide sequence substantially complementary to a nucleotide sequence in the nucleic acid in the subpopulation. A representative sample of the microbial population is obtained and treated to free nucleic acids and to denature double-stranded nucleic acids. The resulting sample nucleic acids are contacted with the labelled probe under appropriate conditions to form duplexes. The labelled probe in the duplex is monitored to determine the amount of duplexes and the level of the subpopulation is calculated from the determined
duplexes. The controlled variable is adjusted based on the calculated level of the subpopulation to bring the level toward the optimal level. The method is used to monitor and control the microbial population without reliance upon the phenotypical expression of the genetic information of the organisms.
4795607 HIGH-TEMPERATURE REACTOR Herbert Reutler, Gunter Lohnert, Johannes Lukaszewicz, Kfederal Republic Of Germana assigned to GHT Gesellschaft fur Hochtemperaturreaktor-Technik mbH Gas-cooled high-temperature nuclear reactor having a reactor core comprising individual fuel elements provided with means for forming a bartier against the release of fission products producible therein during reactor operation, the fuel elements being received in a cylindrical barrel formed of an inner graphite layer functioning as a reflector, an outer layer of insulating material surrounding the inner layer, and a metallic receptacle, the inner and outer layers and the receptacle being formed of respective side, bottom and cover portions, the side and cover portions of the inner layer being formed with first channels into which means for controlling the reactors are insertable, the bottom, side and cover portions of the inner layer being further formed with second channels wherein, during reactor operation, cooling gas is circulated under pressure from the bottom to the top of the receptacle, the bottom portion of the inner layer having first openings for introducing cooling gas into the second channels during reactor operation and second openings for withdrawing during reactor operation cooling gas heated by passage through the reactor core; the inner and outer layers and the cylindrical core barrel having a heat conductivity and a thermal capacity and the reactor core having such a size, shape, power density and moderation ratio that a first temperature at which the core becomes subcritical for all possible accident conditions is below a second temperature at which the barrier means are destroyed, and, when loss of pressure of the cooling gas is experienced, after-heat generated in the core being removable by heat conduction and radiation through the inner and outer layers and the core barrel to a heat sink located outside the receptacle, in such a way that the fuel elements remain at a temperature below the second temperature.