Abstract: Methods for treating impaired glucose tolerance and early and late stage diabetes in mammals, for prophylactically sparing ?-cell function, aiding in preventing ?-cell death, preventing the onset of overt diabetes in a mammal with type 2 diabetes, treating the current level of glycemic control dysfunction of a mammal with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes, comprising orally administering insulin and a delivery agent that facilitates insulin absorption from the gastrointestinal tract at the time of or shortly before mealtime, e.g., within about 10 minutes prior to ingestion of a meal, on a chronic basis. The methods also comprise, in addition to administering a rapid-acting insulin to provide a first insulin peak, administering a slow acting insulin to provide a second insulin peak occurring at a later time but of a longer duration.

Abstract: A rotary shaft having ends with a surface layer or raised portions made of a compressible, preferably elastic, material, the ends including the surface layer or raised portions being covered with relatively thin walled durable plastic tubing.

Abstract: A case for storing medical instruments contains a rotating bracket for holding the instruments. The bracket is connected to the tray and hinged lid of the case via a movable frame, and the bracket movement is controlled by opening and closing of the lid. When the lid is closed, the bracket points the tips of the instruments downward to minimize water collection; and when the lid is opened, the instrument holding bracket rotates so that the instruments it holds are moved to a vertical position, facilitating instrument selection.

Abstract: A disposable electronic timer in the form of a disk having a liquid crystal or similar display, adapted to be glued to a medication bottle cap. A lower major surface of the timer has an adhesive layer with a cover that can be peeled off to expose the adhesive so that the timer can be secured to the bottle cap. The upper major surface of the timer contains the timer display and a control button that in one mode starts the timer so that an alarm within the timer sounds after a preset time interval, and in another mode sets or resets the timer to a different preset time interval. Operating power is supplied by a battery within the timer.

Abstract: A process for cleaning containers (pigs) in which radioactive drugs are shipped to health care providers, after than are returned to a pharmacy and may contain residual radioactive material, blood, microorganisms and other contaminants. Those pigs that are contaminated with radioactive material are removed from the cleaning process until they have decayed to the background radiation level. The upper and lower portions of each blood contaminated pig is disinfected. Each pig is washed at a temperature of at least 180° Fahrenheit for a least one minute to kill bacteria and viruses. The combination of a disinfectant and high washing temperature water provides an optimum level of sterilization.

Abstract: A flexible shaft having ends of square cross-section for coupling a mating female driving member such as a square recess in a motor assembly, with a mating female driven member such as a square recess in a gearbox assembly, for positioning a seat in a motor vehicle. To decrease vibration and noise due to friction and relative movement between the shaft ends and the mating recesses, the sides of the shaft end portions are covered with a deformable polytetrafluoroethylene sheath applied by positioning a length of heat shrinkable tubing over each end portion and heating the tubing to shrink it onto the corresponding end portion so that it assumes the square cross-sectional shape of the end portion.

Abstract: A hair brush having a handle and a body portion with a recess having a convex bottom surface. A similarly curved bristle retaining plate has bristle retaining holes with one bristle slidably installed in each hole. Each bristle has an enlarged bulbous upper end and a wedge-shaped lower end so that it can slide through the bristle retaining plate between its ends. The holes have chamfers at the bottom surface of the plate, and the wedge-shaped ends of the bristles are dimensioned so as to fit in the chamfers. A similarly curved hair removal plate with bristle receiving holes is placed atop the bristle retaining plate, and detachably retained in position. To clean the brush, the hair removal plate is removed from the bristle retaining plate, and the bristle retaining plate is removed from the recess and turned to cause the bristles to slide in the holes so that their bulbous ends contact the bristle retaining plate. Thereafter the plates are returned to their original positions.

Abstract: A hybrid flexible wire shaft having an inner portion with the characteristics of a push/pull shaft having at least one layer of wire groups helically wound on a core wire at a relatively high pitch angle, and an outer portion with the characteristics of a torsional transmission flexible shaft having two or more layers of wire groups wound on the central portion at a relatively low pitch angle. Each layer of the outer group is wound in a direction opposite to the wind direction of each adjacent layer of that group. In an alternate construction, the high and low pitch portions are reversed and an additional outer layer is provided which is wound in a direction opposite to the outermost layer of the high pitch portion.

Abstract: A wire wound flexible shaft has layers of wire wound one upon another, with a dry film of lubricant bonded to the outer surfaces of a number of the outer layers; or if desired, to the outer surfaces of all layers of the shaft. The lubricant is applied by preheating the partially completed flexible shaft to a temperature substantially above 212° F. but below the decomposition temperature of the lubricant. A liquid medium comprising a carrier and particles of the lubricant is sprayed onto the shaft surface, causing the liquid to vaporize and the lubricant particles to be deposited on the shaft. One or more successive wire layers may then be wound onto the partially completed shaft and the spraying step repeated. Thereafter the shaft is heated to cause the lubricant particles to bond to the adjacent wire layers and to reduce internal stresses in the shaft.

Abstract: A wire wound flexible shaft has layers of wire wound one upon another, with a dry film of lubricant bonded to the outer surfaces of a number of the outer layers; or if desired, to the outer surfaces of all layers of the shaft. The lubricant is applied by preheating the partially completed flexible shaft to a temperature substantially above 212° F. but below the decomposition temperature of the lubricant. A liquid medium comprising a carrier and particles of the lubricant is sprayed onto the shaft surface, causing the liquid to vaporize and the lubricant particles to be deposited on the shaft. One or more successive wire layers may then be wound onto the partially completed shaft and the spraying step repeated. Thereafter the shaft is heated to cause the lubricant particles to bond to the adjacent wire layers and to reduce internal stresses in the shaft.

Abstract: A dump cart sustainer with a wheeled platform is provided for receiving, holding, transporting, and dumping a large heavy drum holding building materials such as concrete. The sustainer is structured to allow easy release, disposal, and replacement of the drum by receiving the drum in an apertured basket. The apertured basket avoids accumulation of any overflow from the drum and facilitates easy manual grappling and lifting by allowing hands and fingers to grasp the basket. The sustainer has a locking brake, drum clasping mechanism, and pivoting lifting post for the basket.

Abstract: A workbench with an adjustable height top dually engaged by twin standards with each standard having a single pawl-like structure laterally extended from front to back. The pawl mechanism in each standard is a laterally extended round rod engaging a vertical array of rounded ratchet apertures at the front and back end of the top. A novel safety mechanism to prevent inadvertent disengagement of the rod from the ratchet apertures is a combination of a tension spring connected between a chain and a foot actuator pedal. This spring prevents accidental release of the rod by absorbing unintentional or inadvertent minor force applied to the pedal. The rod-like structure or pawl provides superior structural rigidity for the bench when restricted with rear shims to rotation into the ratchet slots at an angle &agr; between less than about 45 degrees and greater than about 10 degrees.

Abstract: A hand-held instrument for calculating the measurements necessary to prepare any number of servings or serving sizes from a printed food recipe which utilizes two concentric rotating wheels, the lower one of the wheels having instructions printed thereon in a 120 degree segment and measurement data thereon for use in conjunction with said upper wheel, the upper wheel having twelve segments with alternate segments being blank and transparent and the remaining segments having measurement data displayed thereon for use in conjunction with the lower wheel.

Abstract: A novel game and board or surface is played in combination with two sets of playing pieces consisting of three dice each, one set being visibly distinguishable from the second set and wherein in one embodiment all bets are placed on the board or surface before the first set of dice is throw to speed up the method of play and payoffs for each bet are set by the house. Optionally, the house may set and take additional bets between a throw of the first set of dice and a throw of the second set of dice. In another embodiment of the invention, players use the two sets of dice in sequence wherein winning bets are related to poker hands such as open numbers from 3-35; 3 of a kind; 4 of a kind; 5 of a kind, straight; any 3 pair; 6 of a kind, and six sixes (but specifically excluding two of a kind to provide decisive winning odds for the house) and where the payoffs for each bet are 2 for 1, 3 for 1, 4 for 1, 5 for 1, 8 for 1, 8 for 1, 12 for 1, and 20 for 1, respectively, for example.

Abstract: A flexible shaft having at least one end formed to have a helical square shape, wherein successive cross-sections have square shapes progressively rotated with respect to each other. The overall rotation from where the square cross-section begins to the adjacent end of the shaft is preferably in the range of 10 to 20 degrees. The helical square end is preferably shaped by swaging utilizing helical square dies preferably made by electron discharge machining. When the helical square end of the flexible shaft is forced into a mating square opening of an end fitting, the helical square configuration of the shaft end causes it to be deformed and bind tightly in the fitting with an interference fit, thus reducing vibration and noise when the shaft is rotated. Instead of a helical square shape, the end of the flexible shaft may alternatively have another helical polygonal shape.

Abstract: A lockable portable releasably attachable identification and data carrier device is provided with a magnet for detachably mounting on refrigerator door or the like. The data carrier has at least one steel foil pouch for storing and shielding a magnetic storage computer disk containing data pertinent to the user and a computer program which when inserted into a computer having an internet service connecting program thereon enables the connecting program and identifies the identification code of the computer into which the disk is inserted and sends an email to a predetermined email address with the identification code and predetermined data pertinent to the user.