Abstract: A spool winding assembly for winding a composite strip onto a spool having a hub is disclosed. The strip includes an elongate plastic strip having a flat base portion and a plurality of laterally spaced apart lengthwise extending rib portions upstanding from the base portion; and a plurality of elongate reinforcing members extending lengthwise within respective rib portions, the rib portions and the reinforcing members forming composite ribs. The assembly includes: a main frame, a spool holder for rotatably supporting the spool relative to the main frame, a spool drive unit for driving the spool with respect to the main frame, a carriage mounted for lateral movement with respect to the spool, a bender mounted to the carriage for receiving the strip as it is fed towards the hub of the spool and for deforming the strip to give it a curved base portion, and a bender drive unit operably connected to the bender for driving the strip through the bender.

Abstract: A vibration electric power generator includes an iron core having a coil wound therearound, a magnet member relatively moved with respect to the iron core by vibrations caused during running of a bicycle; and a nonmagnetic member fixed to the iron core and being in close contact with the magnet member. A plurality of magnets are stacked such that identical poles face each other.

Abstract: A DNA vaccine suitable for eliciting an immune response against cancer cells comprises a polynucleotide construct operably encoding an a Fra-1 protein, such as a polyubiquitinated human Fra-1 protein, and IL-18, such as human IL-18, in a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier. In a preferred embodiment, the polynucleotide construct is operably incorporated in an attenuated bacterial vector, such as an attenuated Salmonella typhimurium, particularly a doubly attenuated aroA? dam? S. typhimurium. Transformed host cells, methods of inhibiting tumor growth, of vaccinating a patient against cancer, and of delivering genetic material to a mammalian cell in vivo are also described.

Abstract: A DNA composition effective for inhibiting endothelial cell proliferation comprises a DNA construct operably encoding a vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor polypeptide, which can be a full length VEGF receptor protein or an immunogenic fragment thereof. This invention provides DNA compositions that encode VEGF receptor-2 (KDR), VEGF receptor-1 (Flt-1), or Flk-1 (the murine homolog of KDR), as well as methods of using such a DNA composition to inhibit vascular endothelial cell proliferation in the tumor micro-environment. Angiogenesis inhibition and subsequent decrease in tumor growth and dissemination is achieved.

Abstract: A method for inducing Fallopian tube blockage as a means for female contraception comprises contacting the inner surface tissue of a Fallopian tube with a silver nitrate bearing substrate and delivering an amount of silver nitrate to the tissue sufficient to induce blockage of the Fallopian tube. At least one silver nitrate bearing bead is introduced through the uterine opening of the Fallopian tube by use of a catheter or other device suitable for manipulating the bead. Alternatively, a plurality of beads can be introduced into the Fallopian tube. In a preferred embodiment, one or more silver nitrate bearing beads are arranged on a string to facilitate later removal of the beads. The method of the present invention delivers an amount of silver nitrate to the tissue sufficient to cause tissue necrosis and blockage of the Fallopian tube.

Abstract: The present invention provides an isolated tyrosyl tRNA synthetase (TyrRS) polypeptide variant which comprises (a) a Rossmann fold region or a portion thereof, preferably including an 5 coil; and (b) an anticodon recognition domain or portion thereof, preferably including an 14 coil. Preferably, the 5 coil and the 14 coil have a greater spatial separation in the tertiary structure of the variant compared to the corresponding spatial separation in native human TyrRS. The variant preferably comprises an amino acid residue sequence identity of at least about 50% compared to the amino acid residue sequence of human TyrRS (SEQ ID NO: 3), includes at least one non-conservative amino acid residue sequence of human TyrRS, and preferably presents an exposed ELR motif in the 5 coil on an external portion of the tertiary structure of the polypeptide. A preferred TyrRS protein variant comprises the amino acid residue sequence of SEQ ID NO: 4 or a portion thereof.

Abstract: The invention provides a method for inhibiting ocular neovascularization in a patient. The method comprises administering to a patient an ocular neovascularization inhibiting amount of a water-soluble polypeptide selected from the group consisting of SEQ ID NO: 12, SEQ ID NO: 7, and an ocular neovascularization inhibiting fragment thereof, which includes at least one of amino acid residue signature sequences HVGH (SEQ ID NO:10) and KMSAS (SEQ ID NO:11). A method for assaying the angiogenesis inhibiting activity of a composition is also provided.

Abstract: A bioreactor with an anode and a cathode, and a plurality of reaction chambers each having an inlet and an outlet and each including a porous solid ion exchange wafer having ion-exchange resins. Each of the reaction chambers is interleaved between a cation exchange membrane and an anion exchange membrane or between either a cation or an anion exchange membrane and a bipolar exchange membrane. A product chamber is separated from one of the reaction chambers by either a cation or an anion exchange membrane. Recirculation mechanism is provided for transporting material between the reaction chamber inlets and outlets. A method of producing organic acids, amino acids, or amines using the separative bioreactor is disclosed.

Abstract: A fixing device for a bicycle includes a base, a bracket member, a pin and a band. When fastening of the band is loosened, the bracket member comes to be rotatable in a direction of an arrow DR20 with respect to the base, allowing adjustment of a component angle. When fastened to the pipe by the belt, the base and the bracket member are engaged with each other and held in the engaged state, so that bracket cannot be rotated in a direction of an arrow DR20 with respect to the base.

Abstract: A device for temporary hemming/cuffing children's pants legs is disclosed. One embodiment of the present invention is a device having an outer body portion and an inner tongue portion connected by a hinge. The hinge creates an offset distance between the outer body and the inner tongue, and is biased to angle the inner tongue through the outer body. The inner tongue may be deflected from its neutral position to form a recess to accommodate material, such as a cuff made by turning the bottom edge of a pants leg over the pants leg. Another embodiment of the present invention is a clip having a pair of arms extending from a tongue portion. The arms are adapted to engage the bottom of a turned up edge of the pants leg thereby preventing the clip from sliding down the cuff.

Abstract: A computed radiography system including a stimulating light source such as a laser, a photostimulable glass imaging plate (PGIP) substantially transparent to the stimulating light positioned such that the stimulating light impinges the PGIP perpendicularly thereto producing photostimulated luminescence light (PLL), a light collector having a light reflecting inner surface proximate the PGIP for collecting PLL emitted from the PGIP and having a hole or slot therein for admitting stimulating light into the light collector and onto the PGIP. An optical filter in communication with the light collector for blocking stimulating light waves and passing PLL therethrough. A light detector receives PLL from the optical filter and the light collector, mechanism providing relative movement between the PGIP and the stimulating light source, and mechanism including an analog to digital converter for converting the collected and detected PLL to a diagnostic readout. The system is particularly useful in mammography.