1. An isolated bacterium identified as SP80 and deposited with the ATCC under accession number PTA 6736.
2. A process for providing a source of selenium to an animal, comprising the steps of growing lactic acid bacteria capable of uptaking selenium in a medium enriched with selenium and administering an effective amount of the selenium-enriched lactic acid bacteria or extracts or parts thereof to an animal.
3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise the genus Pediococcus.
4. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise the strain Pediococcus pentosaceus SP80.
5. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein the medium is enriched with inorganic selenium compounds and the lactic acid bacteria are enriched with organic selenium compounds.
6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the inorganic selenium compounds are selected from the group consisting of selenite and selenate.
7. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the organic selenium compounds are selected from the group consisting of selenomethionine, selenocystine, selenocysteine, Se-methylselenocysteine, gamma-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine, gamma-glutamyl-selenomethionine, selenocystathionine and Se-adenosyl selenohomocysteine.
8. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise the strain Pediococcus pentosaceus SP80.
9. A method of converting inorganic selenium compounds to organic selenium compounds, comprising feeding the inorganic selenium compounds to lactic acid bacteria capable of uptaking inorganic selenium and producing organic selenium compounds.
10. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the inorganic selenium compounds are selected from the group consisting of selenite and selenate, and the organic selenium compounds are selected from the group consisting of selenomethionine, selenocystine, selenocysteine, Se-methylselenocysteine, gamma-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine, gamma-glutamyl-selenomethionine, selenocystathionine and Se-adenosyl selenohomocysteine.
11. A method as defined in claim 9, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise the strain Pediococcus pentosaceus SP80.
12. A method of improving the feed conversion rate in an animal, comprising the step of feeding the animal an effective amount of lactic acid bacteria enriched with selenium.
13. A method of increasing the absorption and retention of selenium by an animal, comprising feeding the animal an effective amount of lactic acid bacteria enriched with selenium.
14. A process for providing a source of selenium to a human, comprising the steps of growing lactic acid bacteria capable of uptaking selenium in a medium enriched with selenium and administering an effective amount of the selenium-enriched lactic-acid bacteria or extracts or parts thereof to human.
15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise the genus Pediococcus.
16. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the lactic acid bacteria comprise the strain Pediococcus pentosaceus SP80.
17. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the medium is enriched with inorganic selenium compounds and the lactic acid bacteria are enriched with organic selenium compounds.
18. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the inorganic selenium compounds are selected from the group consisting of selenite and selenate.
19. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein the organic selenium compounds are selected from the group consisting of selenomethionine, selenocystine, selenocysteine, Se-methylselenocysteine, gamma-glutamyl-Se-methylselenocysteine, gamma-glutamyl-selenomethionine, selenocystathionine and Se-adenosyl selenohomocysteine.
20. The use of Pediococcus pentosaceus SP80 as a source of organic selenium compounds for immune-related diseases.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A removable retainer device for an activating lever on a fuel pump nozzle handle having a static electricity detection element and warning signal, the device comprising:
a brace for retaining a fuel pump nozzle handle lever in an on position, the brace comprising a planar rigid body having a top surface for engaging a fuel pump nozzle handle activating lever and a bottom surface for engaging a bottom hand shield portion of the fuel pump nozzle handle, a side portion protruding laterally outwardly beyond each of the two sides of the pump nozzle handle, the brace inserted between the nozzle handle lever and the hand shield to activate the flow of fuel through nozzle and to retain the nozzle handle lever in a first position for pumping the fuel, and the brace alternately removed therefrom to release the nozzle handle lever to deactivate the flow of fuel through the nozzle;
a static electricity sensing system built into the brace comprising:
a static electricity sensing antenna extending along the length of an outer edge of each protruding side portion of the brace:
a static electricity sensing circuit housed within the brace, the sensing circuit communicating with the sensing wire to detect presence of a static electricity potential on a hand of a user approaching the fuel pump nozzle handle before the hand of the user reaches the fuel pump nozzle handle;
a visual warning signal attached to each of the protruding side portions in an outwardly visible location, the visual warning signal communicating with the static electricity sensing circuit, the visual warning signal activated by the sensing circuit upon sensing of static electricity potential by the sensing circuit;
an audible warning signal attached to the brace, the audible warning signal communicating with the static electricity sensing circuit, the audible warning signal activated upon sensing of static electricity potential by the sensing circuit; thereby providing a removable retainer device for an activating lever on a fuel pump nozzle handle having a static electricity detection element and warning signals to warn the user not to touch the fuel pump hand and thereby prevent a spark being generated between the hand of the user and the fuel pump handle to prevent ignition of combustible vapors in the vicinity of the fuel pump handle.
2. The device of claim 1 wherein the warning device comprises a visual warning signal attached to each of the protruding side portions in an outwardly visible location, the visual warning signal communicating with the static electricity sensing circuit, the visual warning signal activated by the sensing circuit upon sensing of static electricity potential by the sensing circuit.
3. The device of claim 2 wherein the visual warning signal comprises at least one light emitting diode attached to each of the protruding side portions.
4. The device of claim 1 wherein the warning device comprises an audible warning signal attached to the brace, the audible warning signal communicating with the static electricity sensing circuit, the audible warning signal activated upon sensing of static electricity potential by the sensing circuit.
5. The device of claim 4 wherein the audible warning signal comprises a piezo electric sounding device built into the sensing circuit.
6. The device of claim 1 wherein the warning device comprises a visual warning signal attached to each of the protruding side portions in an outwardly visible location, the visual warning signal communicating with the static electricity sensing circuit, the visual warning signal activated by the sensing circuit upon sensing of static electricity potential by the sensing circuit, and an audible warning signal attached to the brace, the audible warning signal communicating with the static electricity sensing circuit, the audible warning signal activated upon sensing of static electricity potential by the sensing circuit.
7. The device of claim 6 wherein the visual warning signal comprises at least one light emitting diode attached to each of the protruding side portions and the audible warning signal comprises a piezo electric sounding device built into the sensing circuit.
8. The device of claim 1 wherein the brace further comprises two upwardly protruding sections of the side portions on each side of the fuel nozzle handle lever straddling the fuel nozzle handle lever to assist in retaining the brace in place.
9. The device of claim 1 wherein each upwardly protruding section houses at least one of the visual warning devices positioned away from the fuel pump nozzle handle in a highly visible location.
10. The device of claim 1 wherein the brace further comprises two downwardly protruding sections of the side portions on each side of the fuel nozzle handle hand shield portion straddling the hand shield portion to assist in retaining the brace in place.
11. The device of claim 1 further comprising means for attaching the brace to the vehicle when not in use.
12. The device of claim 11 wherein the means for attaching the brace to the vehicle comprises a magnet mounted on the outside of the brace.