PRODUCTION OF BUTANOL BY FERMENTATION IN THE Sugars are converted to a mixture of solvents including butanol by a fermentation process employing a coculture of microorganisms of the Clostridium genus, one of said microorganisms favoring the production of butyric acid and the other of which converts the butyric acid so produced to butanol. The use of a coculture substantially increases the yield of butanol over that obtained using a culture employing only one microorganism. A urine collection device for females comprising an interface body having an interface surface for engagement with the user's body. The interface body comprises a forward portion defining a urine-receiving bore having an inlet in the interface surface adapted to be disposed in surrounding relation to the urethal opening of the user and a rear portion integrally adjoining the forward portion and having a non-invasive vaginal seal on the interface surface for sealing the vagina of the user from communication with the urine-receiving bore. An absorbent pad is removably supported on the interface body and extends laterally therefrom. HEAT SEALABLE, FLAME AND ABRASION Address inquiries to: Inventor: Richard P. Tschirch, et al. Johnson Space Center NASA Case No. MSC-18382-1 Canada, Japan, France, Attn: Patent Counsel Corresponding to U.S. Patent No. 4,284,682 Filed 4-30-80 Issued 8-18-81 Flame retardant, abrasion resistant elastomeric compositions comprised of thermoplastic polyurethane polymer and flame retarding amounts of a filler selected from decabromodiphenyloxide and antimony oxide in a 3:1 weight ratio, and decabromodiphenyloxide, antimony oxide, and ammonium polyphosphate in a 3:13 weight ratio respectively. Also, flame retardant, abrasion resistant, and heat sealable coated fabrics employing such elastomeric compositions as coating film. Means for controlling the compression pressure in an internal combustion engine having one or more cylinders and subject to widely varying power output requirements. Received between each crank pin (C) and conncting rod (D) is an eccentric sleeve (F) selectively capable of rotation about the crank pin and/or inside the rod and for latching with the rod (D) to vary the effective length of the connecting rod and thereby the clearance volume of the engine. The eccentric normally rotates inside the connecting rod during the exhaust and intake strokes but a latching pawl (F) carried by the eccentric is movable radially outwardly to latch the rod and eccentric together. A control valve (J) responds to intake manifold pressure to time the supply of hydraulic fluid to move the latch-pawl outwardly, varying the rod length to maintain a substantially optimum firing chamber pressure at all intake manifold pressures. HERMETICALLY SEALABLE PACKAGE FOR HYBRID SOLID-STATE ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND THE LIKE NASA Case No. MSC-20,181-1 Address inquiries to: Corresponding to U.S. Application No. 392,093 Filed 6-25-82 A small component package employing a ring frame 11 of a mouldable polyamide-imide thermoplastic directly moulded onto a heat conducting base plate 10 with integral moulded anchoring pins of the thermoplastc material engaging corresponding bores 21 and 22 through the base plate. The other edge of the ring frame 11 is metalized as is the interface area 13 with a cover plate 12 of the same thermoplastic material for a soldered seal. Multiple solid electrical leads 17, 18, 19, 20 are moulded into the ring frame 11 during the base plate-to-ring from moulding operation to provide an inexpensive, sealed package which is also light in weight. Threaded inserts 14 facilitate a firm connection to an external heat sink surface along surface 10a of base plate 10. |