Abstract: Immunoapheresis treatment for cardiomyopathy comprises passing the patient's plasma over a column having coupled thereto a specific ligand for human immunoglobulin, thereby removing a significant portion of the immunoglobulin from the patient's plasma, and then reinfusing the plasma to the patient. The invention is the use of a specific ligand for human immunoglobulin in the manufacture of a column having the ligand coupled thereto, the column being useful for immunoapheresis treatment of a patient with cardiomyopathy. The specific ligand binds, and thereby removes, human autoantibodies which are harmful to cardiac tissue such as antibodies against ?1-adrenergic receptors, ADP-ATP carriers, ? and ? myosin heavy chains, and adenine nucleotide translocators.

Abstract: The instant invention relates to a process for preparing a compound of formula (I): said process comprising a step (B) which consists in performing a Michael addition of a thioacid RS4H on to an &agr;-substituted acrylamide derivative.

Abstract: A method of achieving safe and effective treatment or prevention of potentially harmful blood clots, or in inhibiting the coagulation of blood when so desired such as during a wide array of disease conditions including stroke, myocardial infarction, sickle-cell crisis and venous thrombosis, is provided by the administration of a fibrinogen-binding protein capable of binding at the N-terminal B&bgr; chain of fibrinogen, such as SdrG or Fbe, or their respective binding regions such as the A domain. In addition, compositions comprising effective amounts of the fibrinogen-binding proteins are also provided. The present anti-coagulation compositions have been shown to inhibit thrombin-induced fibrin clot formation by interfering with the release of fibrinopeptide B and the resulting anti-coagulation effects can be achieved without potential for causing or exacerbating unwanted side effects such as thrombocytopenia associated with prior art anticoagulants such as heparin.

Abstract: The invention concerns nucleic acids coding for polypeptides specific of the Neisseria genus pathogenic strains, the corresponding polypeptides, and their diagnostic and therapeutic applications.

Abstract: Provided are novel processes for the efficient production of L-epi-2-inosose and epi-inositol which are useful either as various medicines or intermediates for the syntheses of various medicines. In the processes, there is used inexpensive myo-inositol as a starting compound. That is, there is now developed a new process which comprises reacting myo-inositol with a gram-negative bacterium capable of converting myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose, and thereby producing L-epi-2-inosose by conversion of myo-inositol into L-epi-2-inosose. Further, a novel process is provided, which comprises reacting the so produced L-epi-2-inosose with a reducing agent made of an alkali metal boron hydride or any other alkali metal hydride in an aqueous reaction medium, to produce epi-inositol and myo-inositol, and then isolating epi-inositol from the resulting reaction product composed of the epi-inositol and myo-inositol.

Abstract: A hollow body is formed from several multi-layer plastic elements which are welded together and comprise a barrier layer that is a barrier to liquids and to gases. The elements form an appendage which extends from an outer surface of the hollow body, wherein the appendage comprises two multi-layer plastic layers, each of the two layers having a respective barrier layer. A method for manufacturing the hollow body includes using compression moulding in a multi-part mould comprising welding kerbs. When the mould is being closed, at least the barrier layers of the multi-layer plastic elements are forced to flow into a shallow slot formed between the welding kerbs of the closed mould. A multi-part compression-blow-moulding mould comprises welding kerbs which, when the mould is closed, form a slot or space between them with a height of cross section that decreases towards the outside of the mould and which is extended by a shallow and broad slot intended to compress the plastic.

Abstract: A wound dressing which comprises a carrier layer having a non-adherent to cell layer on a wound facing surface thereof. The non-adherent layer has bonded thereto a biodegradable cell anchoring layer which anchors mammalian cells. In use, the degradable layer breaks down releasing the cells into the wound site which are discouraged from reattaching to the dressing by the non-adherent layer. Thus the dressing can switch from a cell binding state to a state in which the binding of cells is discouraged. Systems, methods of treatment and methods of manufacturing the dressing are also disclosed.

Abstract: The present invention relates generally to a method of synthesising a metal alkoxide polymer involving the following general steps: 1. acidolysis; 2. condensation; and 3. subsequent processing. The acidolysis step is preferably performed without addition of water, in the presence of a mutual solvent. The acidolysis step involves acidolysis of a metal alkoxide compound with an acid to produce an intermediate acidolysed solution. The condensation step involves condensation of the intermediate solution in the presence of a metal alkoxide compound to produce the metal alkoxide polymer.

Abstract: A method for producing cucurbit[n]urils, where n is from 4 to 12, comprising mixing substituted and/or unsubstituted glycoluril with an acid and a compound that can form methylene bridges between glycoluril units, and heating the mixture to a temperature of from 20° to 120° to thereby form cucurbit[n]. Novel cucurbit[n]urils, where n=4, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 and substituted cucurbit[s,u]urils, where s=number of substituted glycoluril units, u=number of unsubstituted units and s+u=4-12 are also described.

Abstract: A method is provided for determining the susceptibility of a NIDDM patient towards sulfonylurea therapy by obtaining a sample from a NIDDM patient where the sample includes nucleic acid molecules containing a fragment of the SUR1 gene comprising the nucleotide in position −3 of exon 16 and detecting the presence or absence of the −3 t allele in position −3 of exon 6 whereby the presence of at least one −3 t allele identifies a NIDDM patient with a high susceptibility towards sulfonylurea therapy.

Abstract: A method and an apparatus for inspecting microbes, etc. including, as an apparatus for detecting microbes, etc., a cultivating device, an image taking-in device, and an arithmetic processing unit, in which an image of a medium to be inspected obtained from a sample collected from a substance or a physical solid having proper color microbes or the medium subjected to illumination treatment, dyeing treatment, etc. prior to or after cultivation in accordance with necessity is separated into the three primary colors, or the like, then, chromatic information of histogram, color and hue for each primary color are calculated, and the information thus obtained is compared with integrated data obtained by combining second data of generic information of microbes, etc. with first data of microbes, etc.

Abstract: Isolated peptide sequences and proteins containing these sequences are provided which are useful in the prevention and treatment of infection caused by Gram-positive bacteria. The peptide sequences have been shown to be highly conserved motifs in the surface proteins of Gram-positive bacteria, and these consensus sequences include amino acid sequences such as LPXTG (SEQ ID NO:13), ALKTGKIDIIISGMTSTPERKK (SEQ ID NO:14), VEGAWEKPVAEAYLKQN (SEQ ID NO:15), and EYAGVDIDLAKKIAK (SEQ ID NO:16). By virtue of the highly conserved regions, the sequences and the proteins including these sequences can be utilized to generate antibodies which can recognize these highly conserved motifs and the proteins containing them and thus be useful in the treatment or prevention of a wide range of infections caused by Gram-positive bacteria.

Abstract: A modified serum albumin is provided which has been modified in the n-terminal region or binding region VI, such as through a truncation of at least one amino acid at the n-terminal end, so that it exhibits reduced or eliminated binding of trace metals such as nickel and/or copper. Other suitable modifications to this binding region include mutations such as an elongation or insertion which will be sufficient to disrupt the trace metal binding which is highest at this site. The modified albumin of the present invention is advantageous in that it is binding to trace metals is reduced or eliminated, and it can thus be used more safely and effectively than unmodified albumin with a reduced or eliminated likelihood of causing an allergic reaction to the trace metal in the human being treated with the albumin composition.

Abstract: Process for the manufacture of a concentrated solution, like a concentrated aqueous hydrogen peroxide solution, by distillation and evaporation of a dilute solution, in which the distillation and the evaporation are carried out in two distinct pieces of equipment which are easy to dismantle and to transport. Aqueous hydrogen peroxide solutions having a concentration of at least 90% are obtainable.

Abstract: Isolated proteins, designated Cpa1 and Cpa49, and their corresponding amino acid and nucleic acid sequences are provided which are useful in the prevention and treatment of infection caused by group A streptococcal bacteria such as Streptococcus pyogenes. These proteins have been observed to bind to collagen, and thus methods are provided, such as by administration of the proteins or antibodies generated thereto, whereby streptococcal binding of collagen can be inhibited, and streptococcal infection can be greatly reduced. In addition, medical instruments can be treated using the collagen-binding proteins of the invention in order to reduce or eliminate the possibility of their becoming infected or further spreading the infection.

Abstract: A subject of the invention is a method for transformation of polyolefin wastes into hydrocarbons and a plant for carrying thereof. According to the method, disintegrated polyolefin raw material is subjected in a reactor to the progressive heating to the temperature below 600° C. together with a catalyst chosen from a group comprising cements, heavy metal silicates and resinates and mixtures thereof, where a catalyst is used in an amount below 30% b.w., preferably in an amount of 5-10 % b.w., calculated on the weight of the polyolefin raw material.

Abstract: The subject of the present invention is the various polymorphic forms I, II, III, IV of benzyl (S,S)-2-(2-acetylsulphanylmethyl-3-benzo[1,3]dioxol-5-ylpropionyl-amino)propionate, hereinafter called Fasidotril, their methods of preparation and novel pharmaceutical compositions containing them.

Abstract: An apparatus and method is described for obtaining a preparative-scale, free-fluid electrophoretic separator with high resolution as well as an analytical capability commensurate with capillary zone electrophoresis. The electrophoretic focusing apparatus and method of the present invention features a separation chamber bounded by planar precision-pore, insulated screens, a plurality of purge chambers, a plurality of electrode chambers, and a plurality of pump means. The separation device of the invention is capable of high speed of separation and short residency of sample through the use of high voltage gradients which are produced by relatively low voltages applied across the narrow chamber dimensions. The present apparatus and method thus achieves high resolution of separation in an analytical or a preparative mode through a practically unlimited scale-up potential, and controls the adverse effects of Joule heating and electrohydrodynamics on the electrophoretic separation procedure.

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of interferon-beta for the treatment of Ewing's family of tumors in mammals. A method for treating Ewing's family of tumors in a mammal comprising administering to the mammal in need of such treatment a therapeutically effective amount of interferon-beta is disclosed. The present invention further relates to pharmaceutical compositions suitable for administration to a mammal for the treatment of Ewing's family of tumors comprising interferon-beta in a therapeutically effective amount, together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier.

Abstract: Polymeric adhesive comprising a homogeneous mixture of at least three constituents: (a) at least one thermoplastic halogenated hydrocarbon polymer, (b) at least one copolymer of monoethylenic monomers which carry an alkyl carboxylate functional group and (c) at least one alpha-olefin polymer modified by the incorporation of at least one functional group chosen from a carboxyl, an acid anhydride, a hydroxyl and an epoxide. Process for the preparation of this polymeric adhesive and use of this polymeric adhesive in the preparation of structures with multiple polymeric layers. Structures with multiple polymeric layers comprising a layer (A) based on thermoplastic halogenated hydrocarbon polymer bonded to a layer (C) based on thermoplastic nonhalogenated polymer incompatible with (A) via a layer (B) based on this polymeric adhesive.